Strings Attached
by DB2020
Summary: SXS Sequel to Protecting the Lion. Just beginning a serious relationship, Squall and Seifer deal with the troubles such a public affair brings. It's difficult to find a place together, and in the end, Garden may just not be it.
1. Chapter 1

Prologue

An unseemly threat grew with the continued actions of an unknown stalker. Later revealed to be Jeremiah Epson Larkner, a powerful yakuza leader, the deranged stalker was disposed of after daring to touch what Seifer Almasy had only recently laid claim upon.

Seifer Almasy's return to Balamb Garden in the first place, was to act as Squall's protector from this threat. The Commander had been working tirelessly, while stressing over Rinoa Heartilly's recent disappearance, which was later revealed as her departure from their relationship.

Though more than reluctant to accept an old rival's help, Squall conceded to the hiring of Seifer at the insistence of a worried Quistis Trepe.

Not long after rivals were reunited, past happenings in the war forgiven, the two found themselves inexplicably drawn to each other. Neither man understood the feelings they felt for each other. After fourteen years together before the war they didn't understand what had changed between them.

However, as desires mounted and the feelings became mutual, they were unable to avoid the inevitable. Their relationship grew in the time span of a week. But, their time together was hardly relaxing with the interfering kidnapping by Squall's psychotic admirer.

Life was not easy for anyone during the short time span of that single week. Squall's relationship with Seifer triggered unknown feelings in a sharp shooting cowboy. Irvine Kinneas all too quickly wrote his jealousy off, as his usual want to lay claim on every nice body in sight. However, his continued feelings of longing for the Balamb Lion caused hurt towards the happy go lucky Selphie Tilmitt, who was admittedly completely in love with the gunman.

Rinoa, realizing her fault in leaving announced, soon returned with the hopes of picking up where her relationship with Squall had left off. The troubling discovery that Squall had become involved with Seifer was more than a shock.

Laguna Loire struggled continually with his aching want to become closer to his son. Squall was never willing to lie to the Estharian President, and thus could not act the part of the affectionate son. While they managed to build a foundation, they were still far from the perfect father and son coupling.

In a surprising newsbreak, Zell Dincht became a married man. Though the boxer's acquaintance with the head chef, Greta Menavich, was known among his friends, no one had a clue that they'd been involved. Having eloped, the couple made plans for spending their honeymoon enjoying Garden's festivities.

Rui Valdez was a new face joining Garden's ranks. As a thief from Dollet, the younger boy was initially enlisted by Squall's stalker to take pictures. However, Rui's courage was non-existent against Ultimecia's former knight and Commander Leonhart's all seeing gaze. And so, the boy's life changed drastically as Squall offered a home within Balamb Garden.

Set before Garden's winter festival, each character carries on where they left off.

Chapter One

Place Your Bets

On weekends, Balamb Garden usually had crowded hallways with students hanging out in every corner. It depended on the season and where the large facility was stationed. During winter, cadets tended not to go outside as much. Likewise, when they were stationed in Fisherman's Horizon, there was little to occupy the teenage mind in the small seaward town.

Stationed in Fisherman's Horizon, Balamb Garden was under the construction of the trained hands of every mechanic and able-bodied architect. Lead by Selphie Tilmitt, the first stages of preparations for the winter festival were underway.

There was a pleasant hum of excitement in the air. Not for the first time, Laguna Loire found himself grinning foolishly for no reason at all, except that he couldn't help it. Reputation aside, it was a rare instance when the former Galbadian soldier was able to sleep in. The worst part was, taking extra hours of unneeded sleep was a secret pleasure for the man, though he'd never admit that it had anything to do with age.

Now, planning yet another day of soaking in the youthful atmosphere that was Balamb Garden, the long haired man casually walked along side his trusted advisor and temporary bodyguard, Kiros Seagill. Poor Ward was left behind for the time being, since someone had to run the country while Laguna was off having fun with his son.

"Say," the president with hazel green eyes spoke to grab his tall friend's attention. "Is it always this crowded on weekends?"

"It's not crowded," the dark skinned man pointed out.

"That's what I mean. Where is everyone?"

"Alex, why didn't you wake me up!" a young feminine voice cried from behind.

"You're to one who didn't set the alarm," a slightly higher pitched voice chastised.

Laguna and Kiros halted, and watched in amusement as two young female students came dashing around the corner. The frantic attempts by one to shrug into a sweatshirt and the unlaced sneakers of the other told the tale of how their morning was going.

The two girls didn't spare either the President or the advisor a second glance as rushed by.

"Did you place any bets?" the one who was apparently named Alex asked.

"My money's always on the Commander. I hope we're not too late. Gah! Why didn't you wake me up?"

"Excuse me," Laguna called out to the ladies retreating backs.

Even with the lighthearted tone the President's voice always carried, he did sound like a man of his age, causing the two girls to halt immediately.

Both with brown hair of varying shades, two heads turned with ill concealed winces at being in trouble.

Before either girl could even raise a glance from the floor, the one called Alex began, "We're sorry instructor. We won't run in the halls."

"No, that's fine," Laguna waved off the matter quickly. "Where are you going?" he questioned. After hearing the mentioning of his son, he was quite curious.

"Eh?" the slightly shorter, so far unnamed girl intoned incredulously. Looking up she gasped. "President Loire sir, we're so sorry. We didn't know it was you," she fumbled with heated embarrassment.

"That's fine, that's fine," the longhaired man waved off again, not caring about anything didn't pertain to his boy. "Are you going to see Squall? What's this about a bet?"

"Forgive him," Kiros spoke up. "He's not here on formal business so there is no need for formalities. You mentioned a bet on the Commander, and I believe he won't be satisfied until he's heard more."

Awkwardly, the two young women glanced at each other in shared thought.

"We're going to watch the spar between Commander Leonhart and Seifer Almasy," one explained.

"We're first years, so we never got to see it before," the other piped in excitedly.

Greenish-blue eyes widened. Almost gleefully, Laguna strode forward, "Let's go!" he announced, taking the lead even though he had no idea where they should be going.

While Kiros sighed and shook his head at the man's continued antics of a carefree child, the two ladies shared yet another glance between themselves. With a shrug, they set off to follow quickly in hopes of still making it with plenty of time to watch. Resigned to his fate, the tall advisor cast aside braided strands of hair from his shoulder and also followed.

Shortly thereafter, Laguna found himself in the midst of what he felt safe in assuming was the whole population of Balamb Garden. Crammed into every corner, students mulled around waiting to catch the briefest of glimpses from the sparring fighters inside the Training Center.

Staged as the center attraction, which Laguna was proud to watch with his special status as the Commander's father, were two gunbladists dueling fiercely.

It was a mesmerizing sight. In sublime awestruck, the Estharian had to force his mind to process the images and tag on the little extra fact that what he was seeing was real, and that the darkly clad figure with the neon sword was his very own son.

Absently, he wondered where the kid had been when he'd been helping Esthar out with Adel. Sweet Hyne, that battle would have been a walk in the park for the Commander.

An impressed whistle cut the air. Kiros kept his dark eyes fixed on the sight below. Their position on the second floor viewing deck gave a nice view of the activity. "Now I'm really starting to question those DNA results," the man jibed.

In mock hurt, the longhaired ex-soldier whined, "I'm a good fighter." When his long time companion didn't seem to give his words any notice, he tagged on, "Better than you."

Kiros chuckled softly while continuing to watch the fighters exchange blows. "How long have they been fighting?" he questioned a random spectator nearby. Considering the entire Garden was full of teenaged cadets, there was a general amount the advisor could assume about each younger looking person around them.

"'Bout an hour," the young man replied.

Curiously, Kiros arched a brow and searched for signs of tiring in the fighters. Squall certainly seemed to be lighter footed, capable of taking several steps in the time it took the ex-knight to take one. But, each hit that the brunet countered or defended against was brutal.

"Who's pooling the bets?" Laguna asked eagerly.

Brought from mindless observation, the boy they'd been asking abruptly glanced their way with blinking brown eyes. Confused at the presence of two instructors he didn't recognize, it took a moment for Laguna's face to register. "Sir," he promptly greeted with a salute across his breast, "I believe Instructors Tilmitt and Dincht are running the books."

Kiros almost laughed at the stiff manner of speaking whilst talking about taking bets on the Commander's spar. It was definitely not how he'd pictured that morning going over.

Before the over zealous father could hound every one in earshot for the whereabouts of Selphie and Zell, a cheerful cry cut over the buzzing chatter of fanatic spectators.

"Laguna!" Selphie called out, seeing the tall and distinguished pair over the crowded heads. Jumping up and down, she waved her arm to clue them in on her position. Even first years were taller than her.

Once she'd attracted their attention and called them over, she quickly escorted them elsewhere.

On their way, the happy young woman spoke in a rushed manner, "Oh, rumors are flying everywhere! It's so great. I've managed to round up a particular gathering of girls. It only took a few hints that Seifer came back to be with his childhood love to get them going. I swear, they're as obsessed as the Trepies now. They won't stop giggling every time Seifer and Squall rest a moment and stare at each other."

Brows furrowed, Kiros regarded the copper haired girl wearing a bubble gum pink jump suit with curiosity. "Childhood love?" he questioned.

Laguna abruptly stopped in his tracks. "Oops," he uttered before all else.

"He doesn't know?" Selphie asked frantically, turning about with the look of a frightened puppy that just got into the garbage.

"Seeing as how you couldn't stop talking about how happy you were about your time with the Commander, I'm wondering the same thing." The lanky advisor pinned the featherbrained man with unblinking dark eyes.

"I have pictures," Selphie offered with sparkling green eyes.

Before Laguna could think to protest, wanting to give an explanation first, Kiros had a handful of photos.

With a frown, the dark skinned man questioned the content of the first image. Holding it out, he asked, "You're wet."

Laughing nervously, Laguna habitually tapped his right foot on the ground as though suffering the beginnings of his long forgotten leg cramps. "Did I mention that we fell in the water?"

"No," Kiros answered with an amused smile, "It must have slipped your mind."

Under his breath, the longhaired man mumbled, "Among other things."

Dark brown eyes widened. With uncertainty, the tall man stared for a prolonged moment. Just when he seemed about to ask a few questions, he shuffled through the stack of photos at a swifter pace.

"I see," Kiros commented, eventually handing the energetic pilot her pictures back.

"What do you see?" Laguna questioned.

Kiros gave the President a sardonic look. "I see that your son is more comfortable being held by a sorceress knight than his own father, and I see he doesn't much care for discretion."

"Hey," Laguna snapped, holding an unusually biting tone. "First off, if he's tense in those pictures, it's cause I just tackled him off the dock. And, while I'm not too thrilled about an ex-knight being with my son, Squall seems to be happy about it."

"Yes, what's not to be happy about," Kiros responded sarcastically.

"Let me see those," Laguna ordered, snatching the stack of photos.

Selphie looked impassively from one serious face to the other. How utterly Estharian to only find fault in the relationship because Seifer was once a knight. As it was, she had managed to round up a decent sized group of cadets and get them drooling over the idea of the slightest hint of a relationship between Squall and Seifer. It didn't take much. She'd just had to look for a few qualities of carefree happiness in them that she had, and then make sure they were fans of Squall. Pretty much every girl in his fan club would rather see him with Seifer than another girl. Squall didn't approve of this, but since they couldn't keep the relationship under wraps forever, they might as well build up support for it while they had time.

"How did you take these?" the longhaired man asked incredulously. The view was obviously from above, almost eagle eyed.

Selphie stood on her tiptoes and glanced at the image upside down. "Oh," she giggled, "Well, after Squall sent me to my room without dinner, I hacked into the satellite and took more pictures anyway. Technically, he didn't say I couldn't take more pictures, he just told me to go back to Garden, which I did."

It was Selphie's greatest fete yet, the captured image of two moonlit forms holding each other on the dock. It wasn't her fault she couldn't sleep that night, and she had been harboring some misdirected frustration towards Squall. So, using Garden's equipment to capture the late night rendezvous of lovers helped to release her stress. She of course didn't spy during the moment, but came back later to retrieve the files. That was her way of remaining guilt free about any of it.

"This was the same day when we spent together," Laguna commented absently, fiddling with the single picture of his son staring off with a content smile and the broad knight holding him from behind.

Thinking back, Laguna recalled how Squall had left their hotel room unable to sleep. With a frown, he quickly put the pieces together. "I wondered where he went," he said lightly, giving a small chuckle while handing the pictures back.

"Laguna," Kiros spoke solemnly.

With a small smile that seemed perhaps a little too forced, the former soldier shook his head. "Don't even bother. I've already had every argument at least ten times in my head."

"But, he's the Commander of a Garden. It's like you resurrecting Adel and announcing your engagement," Kiros reasoned in an unusually illogical manner that would hopefully spark some understanding in the President.

"Ew," Selphie commented with small shiver of disgust. Adel was not the prettiest bride there was. Poor Laguna would probably be wearing the dress to the wedding with that one.

Laguna cringed. "Hyne Kiros, give me nightmares why don't you."

"I'm serious," he replied with the same glaring look he gave the President when he found the man slacking off.

"Well what do you want me to say?" Laguna turned on his friend.

"You could have told me first," Kiros started.

"Yeah, because this is turning out to be a real hoot."

Selphie looked back and forth nervously. "Umm… maybe I should go," she suggested. She'd never really seen Laguna get upset, even around Kiros, who he seemed the most comfortable in displaying every emotion with.

"No, I want to place a bet," Laguna declared, accidentally directing a harsh glance the young woman's way before promptly softening it. "Five hundred thousand gil that Squall kicks his boyfriend's ass."

"Wow," was all Selphie managed at the flustered bet of great expense. "That's a bit much," she said after a moment.

"I'd bet the entire Estharian army if I could," Laguna replied seriously.

Ignoring his dodging companion's attempt to change the subject, Kiros pressed, "Laguna, what exactly did the Commander say was going on between them?"

"They're in love," Laguna rounded on his friend, berating his own sensitivity to the topic.

The advisor shook his head. "We should have added a clause in the treaty about this," he commented off handedly, frowning at the complications this would create.

"Stop being so political for two seconds and consider the fact that he's my son who never seems to smile, but apparently has no trouble looking like a love struck puppy when around Seifer." With a waving hand, Laguna gestured to the pictures Selphie had.

"It's Seifer now?" Kiros questioned.

"For Hyne's sake," Laguna fumed, "It's not like I consider him my son in law. I know he was a sorceress knight, and yeah, it bothers me. But, I'm not about to throw a fit over it. It's not my place."

"You're his father," Kiros reasoned.

"And a whole lotta good that does, what with me never being around for eighteen damn years. I'm not putting our relationship on the line just cause I don't approve of the one person who seems to make him happy," he stated firmly, hazel-green eyes alight with determination and a hint of fear.

Kiros relented for the moment, not wanting to upset his friend. "We'll talk later," he said.

"Yeah, we'll talk later," Laguna spat, stalking away. The excited and lighthearted feel to that morning had been effectively crushed.

As Laguna's form disappeared through the Training Center doors, the man apparently still set on watching the match regardless of the dampened mood, Selphie eyed the dark skinned fighter warily. She couldn't really tell if they'd seriously just had a row, or if spats like that were commonplace among such long time friends.

"You might wanna buy some flowers or chocolates to apologize," Selphie joked.

"It's fine," Kiros assured. It was rare for anyone aside from Ward and him to see this more human side to Laguna. Carefree was the man's true nature, but nobody was one sided.

"Well then," the green eyed ball of energy sighed in relief, "Mind if I say something?"

Carefully, Kiros looked down upon the shorter woman wearing the ridiculously eye catching pink outfit. Now that he studied it, he saw a few spatters of pink paint, similarly colored so that it blended in.

Selphie took it upon herself to defend Seifer. "Coming from Esthar, I understand the particular prejudice you hold against guys like Seifer. But, I have to ask…. Why haven't you issued a warrant for Rinoa's arrest?"

Dark eyes widened. It seemed a different side of the happy pilot was being bared here. While searching for the young woman's meaning, he questioned, "Why would I do that?"

"Rinoa's a sorceress," Selphie answered matter-of-factly. With a shake of her copper hair, she redirected, "But that's not my point exactly."

Kiros continued to stare with interest, obviously waiting for her to get to the point.

"Edea Kramer is one of the kindest woman I've ever known. She was like a mother to us all, before we found real families. She was the only mother Squall, or Seifer, has ever known. She even went to great lengths to protect the world from what she was. Rinoa is pretty good too. She's sweet, if only a little ditzy."

Quirking a brow, the tall man gave an expression that seemed to say Selphie was calling the kettle black.

"Being a sorceress isn't always a choice. And, I think you know this since you haven't tried to have either women sealed on grounds of prevention."

"They aren't a threat. The Heartilly girl is being watched over by General Caraway," the advisor informed.

"Yeah, I know. But, when Squall was dating Rinoa, you didn't seem to care about the matter in the least."

"Becoming a sorceress is quite different from becoming a sorceress' knight," Kiros spoke evenly.

Selphie smiled warmly, green eyes widening with interest. "Perhaps, but in the end, it's all about the allure of power. Seifer claims it was completely voluntary and that he is entirely guilty. But, I sometimes wonder what an eighteen year old boy thinks when he's just been turned down for SeeD and hasn't a hope for making a place for himself in the world. Add the fact that Ultimecia spoke through Edea's body into the mix, and you can't deny that the persuasive powers of a sorceress had something to do with it all."

Frowning, Kiros didn't reply. Instead, he looked steadily at the empty corridor behind the short woman, mulling her words over and thinking about Laguna's riled state.

"Seifer's a good guy. Squall's known him as far back as he can remember. After defeating Ultimecia, don't you think Squall of all people is the most qualified to be judging here?"

Selphie continued to watch for some reaction. When she received none, she broke down and berated, "Oh, get your head out of your ass and go apologize to Laguna. The poor guy is beyond afraid that he'll lose ground with Squall. You can't expect him to interfere."

Huffing, Selphie turned and jogged towards the entrance of the Training Center.

* * *

Seifer grinned, beside himself at the deafening cry of squeals coming from Tilmitt's little fan gathering.

Exhausted beyond words at the moment, they'd ditched their blades and wound up having a good old fashion brawl. After an hour of nothing but physical attacks and wielding Hyperion in a single-handed fashion he was tired. Keeping up with Leonhart's ridiculously intricate footwork was near impossible. But, he'd kept going, hoping that the lion would falter under his rough attacks eventually.

There was little motivation to truly end the spar when that silver-eyed brunet held such captivating grace and intense emotion with each movement. He was practically hard with arousal despite his disposition.

The high-pitched squeals sounded when he'd managed to feint his quarry and tackle the lithe form to the ground. Shortly after, the desperate to escape Commander had reversed their roles. And so, the power struggle had ensued, where they tumbled about vying for dominance.

As much as the blond knight would have preferred privacy with his lusciously entrancing lover, he conceded that Tilmitt had been right about starting to let rumors fly concerning their relationship. If a touchy feely, intensely personal spar, was the way to go about it, then he was game. A big part of him still wanted to tell the world, but he knew Squall was opposed to such brashness.

Still, neither of them was unaware of the fact that it would eventually be exposed. So, Squall agreed that small steps were the answer.

With the Commander now in reach of the stronger ex-knight, cadets started chattering and questioning their bets. It didn't seem to matter that silence might be appreciated.

A possible ending to their spar came when Seifer managed to stay the struggling bucks. Instead of carrying the momentum the smaller man needed to flip their forms over in such a fatigued condition, Squall was pinned.

As cheers broke out from a decent portion of the crowd, the blond smirked. Now, it was safe to assume that even under the most unfazed of situations, Seifer would have taken advantage of their positions. The fact that he was turned on by the sheer magnitude of the Commander's fighting spirit tended to get in the way of all clear thinking that didn't involve attacking and defending. Add to it that Squall was in a sweaty, heavy breathing state, and he could hardly be blamed for his next actions.

Dipping down swiftly, Seifer claimed victory with a kiss. However, it was the shortest lived victory he'd ever experienced, not even giving him a chance to relish the feel of Squall's pout mouth.

Green eyes widened, a flash of fear crossed his eyes when he saw the furious gaze of bright gray orbs, silver in the right lighting. Immediately leaning back, he held his hands up defenselessly. Moving back further, he conceded defeat as the knife held to his precious jewels was revealed.

Seifer cursed that he'd forgotten about the added weapon strapped to the younger man's inner thigh.

The crowd seemed to have mixed reactions, while the buzzing excitement flew as the play by play continued to pass from the ones who'd actually seen everything towards the back.

Selphie was definitely noticeable as she came bounding towards them. Behind her was a group of rapidly chattering young women, pointed every so often at the panting fighters and gesturing at the unmistakable exchange that had taken place.

Squall groaned, deftly pulling his knife away and sheathing it.

"Small steps," the brunet hissed vehemently to the still grinning blond.

Seifer wasn't entirely comfortable until the blade had been taken away from the vicinity of his groin. Relaxing a bit, he admitted that defeat was worth the stolen kiss. Reaching out, he ruffled matted locks of dark brown hair. "You know I've always been one for theatrics," the ex-knight responded.

"And the winner!" Selphie cheered loudly, arms raised while calling for silence, "Commander Leonhart, by the oldest trick in the book, with a knife to the groin!" At the scowling face of the less than enthused lion, the undeterred woman continued, "And the loser, Seifer Almasy, who was stupid enough to tease the Balamb Lion!"

It was Seifer's turn to scowl.

Squall was mildly surprised by the general reaction of laughter. Staring at the green-eyed girl, he watched impassively as she winked at him. While there would be no undoing all the damage done by the public kiss, the sharp-tongued pilot had managed to smooth it over as some joke.

"Instructor Dincht can be found in the Cafeteria with his lovely wife. They'll be handling the rewards for everyone who supported our Commander!"

Shortly after, when he crowd started to disperse, Selphie turned to the pair. "I'll let you guys shower up first before I drag you to helping me paint."

"Paint?" Seifer questioned securing his blade once again.

"It's for the tunnel of love," she replied merrily.

"Dear Hyne," Seifer commented in a devastated manner. A sidelong glance showed Squall with a similar reaction, pinching the bridge of that delicate and straight nose.

"Anyways, I have more rumors to spread," Selphie said before turning to take her leave.

"Rumors?" Squall questioned, almost afraid to know.

"Yeah, everyone thinks you two had your own bet riding on this. By dinner time, I'll have everyone thinking Seifer's wearing women's underpants."

"Tilmitt," Seifer warned menacingly.

Squall tried, and failed, to hide an amused smirk.

Huffing in disappointment, the copper haired girl rolled her eyes. "Fine," she relented in exasperation. "But you should know, most people already think that if Squall lost, you were gonna make him wear the girl's uniform for a day."

Squall blanched. "What?" he blurted out incredulously.

At the familiar voice of Esthar's President calling the Commander's name, three heads turned to watch Laguna's approach.

TBC….

A/N I suppose it's really more like another chapter for Protecting the Lion, rather than a whole new story. But, I've read a lot of sequels like that. I don't really feel like changing my style so that I can recap on everything that's happened thus far. Well, it's a first chapter. Nothing to foreshadow future events, but things will get rolling soon enough.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter Two

It's Love

It had been quite a long time since the two gunblade specialists had had a decent spar like on that Saturday morning. With midterms coming up, Squall was surprised at the turn out for the event.

Pleasantly exhausted, Squall relished the subtle feel of soreness in his muscles. If they made the routine a daily ritual, as it had practically been before the war, then he'd be in better form in no time. It had been a relief to see that while his concerned friends had often commented on his weakened state, he wasn't so far gone.

Clean bill of health aside, sleeping and eating were not exactly the foremost priorities on his daily regimen. But, with his bossy, overbearing, arrogant bodyguard around it was impossible not to do both on a regular basis.

While Quistis was most enthused about the turn out of her little set up with bringing Seifer back, there were a few lesser-known aspects that she might not approve of.

Regardless of their strenuous exercise, Squall found himself pressed roughly against the wall of the locker room's shower. The white tiling was refreshingly cool against his back, but that was about the only relief his heated body received. The warm spray of several showerheads cascaded down from the left and right. With Seifer pressed flush against his bared form, seemingly entranced with marking his neck, there was no escaping the running water.

"Seifer, what's the point in running more than one, when you obviously can't shower alone?" the Commander reprimanded while trying to keep his mind focused. As enjoyable as shower sex could be, his sense of discrepancy had only increased, and he felt any more fondling for the day should be left for closed quarters.

Grinning at his own genius on the matter, Seifer gave a slick lap against his newest mark before raising his head to answer. "Given the gleam in your pretty blue eyes, I'd say you still have a taste for some rough handling."

Before Squall could refute the ridiculous response, the taller blond jerked him forward and roughly grasped his ass while meshing their lips together. Water now at his back, it trailed down, warming cooled skin.

Stunned, the brunet was unprepared when the tanned man kneaded his cheeks, teasingly spreading them. Moaning in the kiss, the smaller man nearly whined at the sudden loss of each action. Opening his eyes, he encountered an arrogant grin. Lips pressed in a thin line, Squall scowled. Unable to deny what his body had just admitted, he questioned, "What does that have to do with your wasting of water?"

Seifer pulled back, reaching up to cup a pale face. Dark hair hung limply, heavy with water. Droplets rolled down, following each subtle contour of muscle beneath smooth skin. "You're unbelievably sexy when you're wet, so if we're moving around, I wanna make sure there's water nearby."

"You're an idiot," the younger man berated.

"But you love me anyway," the knight countered, promptly pressing the lithe Commander's form back against the wall.

As a tongue sought entrance, Squall refused it. "The door," the brunet tried to reason.

"Is locked," Seifer lied. Nibbling on that plush lower lip, he sucked at it, begging entrance.

"There is no lock," the Commander said through gritted teeth. He didn't trust himself, or Seifer, to not relent to deepening the kiss if his mouth opened.

"Raijin and Fujin are on it. They know I'm powerless against a wet and naked princess."

Squall growled, "Don't call me that."

Reacting quickly, Seifer took full advantage of his kitten's angry lapse. Sliding his tongue in, he ran it along every crevice in reach.

With the water pouring over them, Squall couldn't breath well. Opening his mouth further, he drew in both air and a greedy tongue. Succumbing to the knight's relentlessness and his own arousal, the brunet slid his own tongue against the blond's. When he sucked the wet appendage, a feral grunt of encouragement erupted from the ex-knight's throat.

Pressing his broad, tanned body closer, Seifer slid his knee between Squall's legs, rubbing it against the man's aroused penis.

"Hyne, I can't take this," Raijin's voice rumbled in complaint.

"Take what?" an amicable voice drawled.

As Irvine came around the corner his violet eyes watched with curious amusement as the burly quarterstaff user blushed so deeply that it became evident against tan brown skin.

"How'd you get passed Fu?" the dark haired man asked, hiding his obvious discomfort.

The auburn haired gunman cocked a brow in confusion until faint noises drifted from within the locker room. Violet eyes narrowed.

Raijin slapped a pair of hands to his ears. It was barely audible, but when he knew exactly what was going on in there and with the vacant corridor they were in, every noise seemed louder than it really was.

Taking pity on the man, Irvine said, "I'll take over, you can go make sure no one comes from with in the Training Center."

Blinking his dark brown eyes he slowly lowered his hands. Irvine wondered if he hadn't heard correctly. "I owe you one Kinneas," Raijin thanked with the utmost relieved look before trotting away towards the inner sanctum full of monsters.

Irvine watched until the large man's form was out of sight. The gunman felt torn between his desire to barge in there and tell the couple to either get a room or control themselves, or to just stand watch. Considering his reputation, such words of reprimand would hold no ground. Not to mention, if given the opportunity, he'd probably bend the Commander over that polished desk in the Headmaster's office without a care in the world who might walk in.

The muffled sounds of heavy panting and garbled cries of pleasure were possibly the most unsettling noises he had ever heard. Considering he'd more than once wooed a sweet lady into the men's locker room, he wondered if any passersby had ever heard. At the lust-ridden cry of the blond knight's name, Irvine clenched a fist. Squall and sex was not exactly a usual pairing of thoughts. Certainly the Commander oozed with sexual appeal, much like himself, but the uptight and cold manner in which their leader conducted himself with left too much to be wanted in a passionate partner.

At the distant, but obviously unbidden, order for the asshole knight to go _harder_, Irvine shook with rage and quickly reevaluated his assessment over Squall not being passionate. He'd heard plenty of wanton cries of pleasure, but Hyne help him, Squall's voice was shooting straight to his cock.

Gritting his teeth, the gunman cursed under his breath. Hadn't they already exhausted themselves with that spar of theirs? It was probably Almasy's doing, damn lecher probably couldn't keep his hands off Squall for two seconds.

When jealous and angry, not to mention rather turned on, Irvine didn't think logically. In truth, he would have found some way to hoard away with the lithe Commander for days at a time, doing nothing but screwing the pale brunet senseless.

What the hell did Squall see in the ex-knight? They'd all known each other as children, so why couldn't it be him? Why hadn't he noticed the Commander's appeal earlier on? There had been a prime opportunity right after Rinoa left. Warming a cold bed was exactly what he was best at.

At the climactic cry of orgasm, Irvine slouched in defeat. He could barely hear the Commander's voice, yet his mind played games, making the cries clear, as though he were right there in the room, as though he were the one causing them.

When the silence became unbroken, he became curious. With reckless abandon, Irvine took his hat off and pressed an ear against the door. Aside from hearing a showers spray, there was nothing. He waited.

When the water was turned off, he could hear their voices. Straining to catch the words, wishing he had some sort of glass or stethoscope, he tried still his breathing. Squall was saying something about getting dressed. Briefly, Irvine wondered if there had been a bet between the two of them. Their voices became louder, as if they'd walked from the showers to the actual lockers.

"Say it," the knight's deeper voice spoke.

There was no reply. Irvine could just picture an expressionless glare that the Commander had perfected to substitute words.

"For me, say it."

Irvine frowned, wondering what 'it' was. Almasy was pushy, and while that seemed the only way to get Squall to do certain things, like eat and sleep, he didn't like it.

"You said you didn't need to hear it," the softer voice of their leader replied.

"That was before," the knight responded, "When you didn't know if it was true."

"Why do you always need to hear it? Do you not believe me?"

"No," came the firm answer. "But, you have no idea what it makes me feel when I hear you say it."

There was another bout of silence.

"Seifer," the Commander's voice held an oddly gentle tone, "I love you."

Violet eyes widened. Jerking away from the door as though burned, Irvine stared incredulously. Was this a joke? It wasn't all that long ago that they hated each other. He understood the need for release, which was what he'd assumed their relationship was about. He'd estimated it to be a month at the most, full of rutting like heated felines. But what the hell was this about love?

What in Hyne's name was this? Fuck buddies was one thing, possibly the only reason he wasn't openly throwing a fit, but being seriously involved with each other was another matter.

Between his anger over not realizing exactly what had been going on right in front of his eyes, his jealousy that was afflicting him to greater lengths than he'd estimated, and his even greater anger that he couldn't simply ignore these feelings so that they went away, Irvine glared harshly at the door. Turning, he stalked away. He needed to think, he needed to talk with Selphie.

As Squall pulled a plain white t-shirt over his head, he said, "No more public places."

Seifer stilled his hands as they buttoned a black dress shirt. Green eyes studied the set profile of his princess' face. The Balamb Lion was truly turning out to be a shy kitten. "Afraid someone will see?" he teased.

Squall frowned. Roughly tugging his shirt to ride lower, he sat down on the bench to put his boots on. "I'm serious," he replied tersely.

Feeling a little defensive that Squall could suddenly ignore the fact that they'd just had mind-blowing sex, Seifer retorted, "I don't think I was the only one who enjoyed it."

With a roll of gray-blue eyes, the brunet testily tightened his laces. Done with one boot, he adjusted the pant cuff of his jeans and started with the other.

Seifer raked a hand through his wet hair. He wasn't angry or anything, just confused. Squall had mentioned not wanting to do it where someone might chance upon them, but beyond that there had been little argument. Stepping closer, he bent down and wrapped his arms around the brunet. Pressing his lips to chilled damp locks, he placed a chaste kiss against the younger man's temple. "If that's what you want," he whispered in an almost apologetic tone.

Squall stiffened abruptly, grabbing onto the blond's arms before he could draw away. He felt stupid for discrepancy on the matter. Maybe he was just too tired to think straight.

Needing more time to explain himself better, not wanting Seifer to think he hadn't enjoyed it, Squall toyed with the undone cuff of the dark shirt. Drawing an arm away, Squall proceeded to button it for the ex-knight.

Seifer leaned into the action, resting against the brunet's back. After the rather active morning, he felt ready for a nap. But, Squall would never go for it, so he was resigned to trailing through the day. A lunch with the Commander's father didn't sound too stressful, which was where they were heading.

As Squall finished buttoning the last cuff, he held onto the larger, calloused hand. Quietly, he spoke, "I'm not an exhibitionist, but I'd do it for you."

Green eyes widened in surprise. Seifer almost laughed at himself. His kitten was not just a little shy, he was extremely shy. Hyne, he almost forgot that the younger boy had been a virgin prior to his corruption. Tag on the naturally introverted nature and it was no wonder that Squall didn't like being intimate when privacy wasn't guaranteed. He had known this, but it was difficult to remember when the lithe body writhed beneath him and cried out in such a wanton manner.

Pulling his hand from the light grasp, he wrapped his arms around the smaller brunet. Squeezing tightly, he relied on the knowledge that the Commander wasn't as fragile as he looked, knowing his strong grip wouldn't break him.

With a soft chuckle, Seifer nuzzled a clean scented neck. Was it possible to fall further in love with someone? It felt like his attachment grew daily.

"Sometimes I can't help myself," the knight began, still nuzzling the neck but nothing further, "Trust me though, the last thing I want is for other people to see this side of you. You're mine, and if they saw you like that, they'd try and take you from me."

Squall sighed. "You're an idiot," he commented.

Seifer grinned. Was it wrong to love hearing that phrase? "So, does this mean, that if we keep it in the apartment, you'll dress up for me?"

"Seifer!" Squall bit out harshly.

Seifer laughed at this. "Oh, I'm not giving up. The thought of you makin' me breakfast in nothing but that apron is too damn hot."

When Squall didn't humor the notion with a response, Seifer let go to finish dressing. Tucking his shirttail into his dark gray slacks, he chuckled once more at his inner musings. "I hear they have some kinky shops in Deling City, maybe we could get you a nurses uniform or something."

Squall cringed. "The fact that you sound half serious makes me question your sanity," he commented wryly.

"Come on Squally-boy, give me something."

With a small smirk, Squall glanced to Lionheart, which was propped against a nearby locker.

"Kill joy," Seifer pouted, reading the message well enough.

Standing up, Squall fastened his belt. Taking his gunblade in hand, he made the uncommon decision to drop it off at the apartment instead of holstering it. "You're more likely to win Irvine's favor back and get him to cosplay for you."

"Shit," the blond cursed, "You just ruined every image I had of you."

"Then my job's done," Squall replied, crossing his arms and waiting for the ex-knight to finish up.

When Squall and Seifer entered the cafeteria, they were a bit surprised at the sudden cheering that broke out. A roar of clapping from the crowded dining hall deafened all other sounds except for the occasional whistle and vocal cries.

Confused, Squall looked up at Seifer, wondering if he'd missed something. The blond gave a shrug and continued walking to a frantically waving Selphie and a clapping Laguna. At the table, not Squall's preferred one in the corner, sat the two enthusiasts and a more collected Kiros.

"Your fight was awesome!" Selphie sang. Having vacated the premise as soon as she'd made her announcements, she hadn't taken the time to express her awe.

Light brows furrowed as Seifer leveled the chipper girl with an odd stare. "It was no different than usual."

With an exaggerated roll of shining green eyes, the copper haired girl replied, "That might be, but no one ever got a chance to watch you guys before. You were always so secretive, running off to the beach or some special spot."

Kiros sat calmly, sipping a mug of hot tea. "It was quite impressive," the advisor spoke admittedly.

Seifer thought to comment that what happened in the locker room afterwards was even more impressive, but he doubt that would earn any action for him later on. Instead, he reached out and ruffled still damp brown locks. "I would have had your ass if I'd remembered about you knife."

Frowning, Squall glared at the knight beside him. "That was a rookie's mistake."

Seifer scoffed, but relented to the fact that he should have known better. Lacking a good come back, he simply stated, "I almost had you."

"So who usually wins?" Laguna questioned with interest.

"I do," came the oddly synced reply from both fighters.

While Selphie and Laguna laughed at the response, Kiros eyed the sorceress' knight keenly.

Seifer remained oblivious to the steady gaze, or at least ignored it.

"Hey guys!" Zell's voice called out. Trotting closer, the blond boxer pulled a slightly unwilling young woman with him.

Squall recognized her quickly, taking in a better mental note now that he knew her as Zell's wife. Greta Menavich, Balamb Garden's head chef, with wavy red hair and golden brown eyes. She wasn't portly or exactly chubby, but she was a bit heavier than Quistis and Selphie. Then again, given the lifestyle of SeeD there was a chance that Quistis and Selphie were underweight.

Greta held a slight blush against pale, slightly freckled skin. Her long skirt swayed as she followed Zell towards Commander Leonhart and the small group.

Selphie sprang into action immediately, moving in a blue of bright pink, which she had yet to account for as either an odd fashion change or work clothes. When Zell stopped, grinning toothily, the expressive pilot launched herself and latched onto the newly wed woman.

"This is Greta!" she cried, "My new sister."

"Selphie," Zell chastised, "Leave her alone. She's not your sister,"

"Then sister-in-law, it's all good," the green eyed girl replied.

Bashfully, the red headed woman blushed deeper, eyes averted to stare at the ground.

"I'm not your brother!" Zell replied, cutting the air.

"Yes you are," Selphie retorted, "So's Squall and Seifer and, well, not Irvine. But that's different."

Laguna leaned back in his seat, laughing at the odd proclamation.

"Selphie," Squall spoke up. "I believe we've already met," he turned his attention to an uncomfortable looking chef. He knew exactly how she felt. At the almost nervous look in Zell's blue eyes, the brunet bit the bullet and forced himself to say with a warm tone and fairly believable smile, "Welcome to the family."

Hesitantly, Greta smiled brightly. "Thank you," she expressed with heartfelt emotion.

Just as Selphie released her hold, Zell wrapped his arms around his wife. "See? They don't bite," the spiky blond murmured.

"So," Seifer began with a smirk, "Chicken-wu-" Seifer was cut off, sounding an exhaling 'oomph' as he took an elbow to the stomach. Coughing mildly, he corrected under the harsh glare from Squall, "_Dincht_ got hitched. Never thought I'd see the day."

Normally, Zell would have boxed the air in annoyance, making a non-verbal challenge, but his arms were busily holding onto the love of his life. "That might fly better, Almasy, if you weren't dating Squall."

At the wide-eyed look from the red head, Zell cursed. "Ah, woops."

Squall shook his head. Pinching the bridge of his nose, he reminded himself that it could have been worse. Zell could have said it over a broadcasting system.

"Ah, sorry 'bout that," the shorter blond apologized.

"It's fine," Squall assured, not feeling the truth to his words in the least.

"You won't tell nobody, right babe?" Zell questioned. At the shake of his wife's head, he placed a quick kiss to her cheek.

Selphie grinned madly. "You guys can go through the tunnel of love."

Before anyone could think to question this apparent attraction the energetic young woman was creating for the festival, the approach of a first year cadet caught their eye.

"Commander Leonhart," Rui greeted.

Squall turned to the boy, knowing the dark haired kid tended to only approach with reason to talk to him specifically.

"That fight was amazing," the _former_ thief spoke with an admiring look to both the tall knight and the Commander.

"Hey," Seifer greeted in mock enthusiasm, "It's the kid, who likes to steal my time with Squall away." Regardless of the thief's change in attitude, he was still causing trouble. Squall was set on a revamping of the education system, and he was working along side the little thief to get it done. That meant weekly meetings, which was time Seifer couldn't spend groping the Commander.

"Seifer," Squall reprimanded.

Rui seemed unfazed. "Since everyone knew I had the sign up sheets for new classes, they all came to me earlier. There were like fifty of 'em that wanted to become gunblade specialists."

Squall frowned, "We already have that option."

Seifer scoffed, "Yeah, if you call that one unit of training on it being a specialization."

"There was no interest," the brunet commented. They didn't have the option to create whole classes for each specialty of weapon. As it was, the gunblade was hardly anybody's weapon of choice. It was bulky, heavy, and took hours of practice each day just to learn the basics.

"Squall, we're heading out," Zell interrupted, announcing his leave.

With a distracted nod, Squall didn't watch as Zell and Greta left, so he didn't see that Selphie hugged the chef's arm while talking excitedly and following along.

Thinking to himself for a few moments, the pale brunet considered Rui's information.

Seifer sighed heavily, more than aware that he could start cursing and Squall probably wouldn't take any notice. Stupid brat, coming along and making his kitten go into work mode. Defeated, the blond grumpily sat down at the table.

Folding his arms, he grumbled, "Damn workaholic. It's the weekend."

"You should take notes Laguna," Kiros commented.

"All work and no play gives you wrinkles," the longhaired president exclaimed with mock fear.

Unbidden by the fact that it was Squall's father, Seifer commented brashly, "So that's why you look so damn young."

Despite himself, Kiros laughed at the comment. Even Laguna found it amusing, though not quite as much as his dark skinned advisor.

TBC…


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter Three 

Suzie Loves Johnny, Johnny Loves Jack

"You're sweet darlin'. I don't deserve you," Irvine drawled.

Sprawled out on the floor of Selphie's apartment, which he'd pretty much moved into at this point, the gunman sat propped against the brightly colored couch. One leg clad in beige leather pants was bent so that he could rest his arm on it. While the set of smooth and slim thighs on either side of him was tempting, his mind was occupied with another matter involving the dark haired Commander. One of several distractions was the soothing feel of gentle fingers running through his hair.

Selphie sat on the couch, her bare feet set against the colorfully printed rug while she made room for Irvine to lean back between her knees. Having ditched her pink clothes she wore scrubs of gray pants and a lilac-purple shirt. When the violet-eyed man who'd stolen her heart was feeling too much stress, she'd often sit like this with him. Casually she ran her fingers through his hair, he seemed to like that.

"I suppose it's no secret by now that I love you," Selphie said with a slightly fearful air of shyness.

The gunman seemed to straighten a bit, stiffening at her words. Just as the copper haired girl was about to retract her hands, he relaxed again.

"Yeah, and I can tell you right now, that you could do so much better."

With a heavy heart, Selphie leaned forward and hugged the cowboy's neck. "But I don't want to," she whispered.

"Hyne, I'm trying Selph, I swear I'm trying."

"What's wrong?" she questioned, ready to listen to his troubles. He'd shown up with that anguished expression he wore far too frequently as of late.

"I can't get him out of my head. I don't know what to do. It doesn't feel like a normal crush, like I can just have a fling with someone else and be over it," Irvine confessed.

As Selphie felt the air stolen from her lungs her eyebrows drew together in a pained expression. This had been her worst fear. Uncertain of the proper words to say or even if her voice would work, the young woman asked, "Have you tried to use someone else?"

Irvine knew well enough that admitting to all his one-night stands was not going to deter the energetic pilot. Hyne had blessed him with the presence of the green-eyed girl in his life, but this affliction with the Commander was feeling like some curse that evened the balance.

"No," the gunman answered truthfully. Aside from having scoped out a few look-a-likes who fell miles short of the marker, he hadn't been able to go beyond the visual stage. Not only did he find no attraction, whether for the fact that they weren't quite cute enough or they simply weren't Squall, he felt too much guilt for Selphie's sake. "'Look but don't touch' has pretty much become my motto."

Selphie was bereft. Good news and bad news canceled each other out. With a dampened mood, she wanted to feel happy and excited over the fact that Irvine had truly stopped sleeping around. This was actually the furthest she ever expected him to come for her. Violet eyes would always look at other women, but it was a true testimony of the cowboy's devotion when he didn't touch other women. Yet, as great as this development was, it was completely overshadowed by the fact that Irvine was developing serious feelings for Squall.

"Thank you," was all the green-eyed girl managed to say.

With a wry smirk, Irvine patted the arms that hooked around his neck. "I said I was trying babe. You were always special. But Hyne knows what I'm gonna do now."

Squeezing tighter, Selphie debated with her emotions. On the one hand, Irvine couldn't try and find a solution in a quickie since that wasn't how he worked anymore. On the other hand, there weren't many options or answers to this problem.

Tentatively, Selphie raised her head. Staring forward over Irvine's shoulder, she spoke quietly, "You can use me."

The auburn haired man stiffened. "No," he affirmed harshly.

"But-" Selphie began to assure, but Irvine pulled away suddenly and turned to glare at her.

"No," he repeated. Shifting to his knees, he crawled closer. Straightening up, he reached out and cupped either side of the copper haired girl's rounded face. "I want our first time together to be special. After all this time, all I've done so that I can be worthy enough for you, I'm not gonna make you another nameless face on my list. I'll find some other way to get over Squall. You've done enough just listening to me." Gently he leaned forward and pressed his lips to her forehead.

Momentarily mute, Selphie simply sat on the couch.

"I should go," Irvine said before standing tall. Without even retrieving his hat, he swept to the door.

Brows cringed, the copper haired woman stared at the black material of the gunman's retreating back.

Unable to remain idle, she snapped to attention and leapt up from the couch. Pacing for a moment, she fumed over the fact that nothing could ever be simple.

There was an idea that had begun to form in the back of her head, but it was the sort of action that should only be taken as a last resort. Having just heard the sweetest sentiments from the man she loved, she was beginning to consider actually exacting extreme measures.

With her resolve building on the matter, she decided her time would be best spent working on props and helping out with the construction of the stage. It would relieve some frustration and maybe help to cheer her up a little.

It was difficult when she found herself in such situations. Being that it was rare for her to ever feel depressed, there really wasn't any designated person she felt inclined to run to. Irvine always came to her, among other people, but whom did she go to?

'Maybe Quistis,' she thought as she pulled on a pair of socks.

* * *

With well-mannered strides, Quistis walked into the quad. The sun was bright and the air held the scent of the sea. Her worn flip flops were too flimsy to make any noise against the solid ground, though as she picked the pace up when skipping down the small set of stairs, they made a small scuffling noise. 

Toting a brown leather saddlebag, she carried her laptop and miscellaneous items to work on. Even she tended to dress down on weekends, not wearing her combat gear or SeeD uniform. She wore a simple white t-shirt that had a very faded picture of a Chocobo and her light blue jeans felt like regular cotton with the denim so soft from washing.

The blonde instructor had been in town, more specifically in the center of the large dome shaped plate that made up the center of Fisherman's Horizon. While she didn't make it a habit to go tanning or sunbathing, winter was coming and being stationed in FH gave her a last opportunity to soak up the bright warm rays while doing some light weekend work.

Upon receiving a call from Selphie, she'd been a bit wary about what form of festival work she was about to be dragged into. However, their seemed to be a slight tone to the younger woman's voice that hinted at distress.

Having readily agreed to meet the copper haired pilot at the nearly finished staging area, Quistis walked along the sunny quad.

The blonde's slight concern increased upon catching sight of the energetic girl before her presence was known. Selphie sat on the stage's edge with a noticeable slouch to her shoulders, as though something was physically weighing them down. Her bright green eyes stared off at the ground vacantly, with little traces of the outward energy she usually dispersed in large amounts. Idly, she swung her sneaker-clad feat back and forth, but the motion seemed limp.

"Hey," Quistis called out a little ways before approaching completely.

Immediately, the young woman brightened. Straightening her posture, she beamed at the blonde instructor and gave an unnecessary wave of her hand.

Crystal blue eyes considered the changed, wondering how often this happy go lucky form might have been a façade. There didn't seem to be any traces of falsehood to it, yet after her observations a moment ago, there was no mistaking that Selphie was nowhere near as happy as she let on.

Closing the distance, the Head Instructor ducked her head under the strap of her bag as she took it off and gently placed it up on the stage. Turning around, she levied herself up to sit beside the green-eyed girl.

After a moment of silence, she gave a knowing rock to the side and nudged the smaller woman's shoulder with her own. "So, what's up?" she questioned with a tone that implied she was playing the therapist in their unofficial session.

Without expression, Selphie stared off. The view was nice, though not nearly as great as when they were in the middle of the sea. The water was close though, enough so that she could here the waves every so often, when everything got real quiet. There were seagulls up above, which was something she considered odd, since there was no shore.

Calling Quistis with the intent of having the instructor cheer her up had been the extent of her plan. Beyond that, Selphie hadn't considered what she was going to tell the mature woman. Within their group, they didn't really have secrets, but there were still some things that they confided in a single person with the hopes that no one else would find out. She wasn't entirely sure that this was the case with Irvine. Granted, he'd stated that the knowledge of his crush on Squall was supposed to stay between the two of them. But, after finding out that it wasn't uncommon, the gunman seemed rather lax about secrecy.

After a prolonged silence, Selphie gave a soft laugh. "Not much, the usual. The stage is coming along a lot faster than I'd planned, which is awesome. And, the guys even said they'd like to help out wherever they can. A few of them gave me a hand in building the tunnel of love."

Keenly, Quistis eyed the seemingly happy girl beside her. Reaching up, she took her glasses off and set them atop her bag. "That's nice," she commented.

"Yeah," Selphie mumbled faintly.

Taking a deep breath of the clean air, the blonde woman let out a heavy sigh. "So, how 'bout telling me what's bothering you?"

"You can tell, huh?" Selphie questioned rhetorically, simply procrastinating.

"It was your voice on the phone," the blue-eyed instructor answered regardless.

Frustrated and worried, Selphie let out a few forced chuckles. The small tremors inadvertently turned into sobs. Sniffing disdainfully, she swiped at her eyes. Making excuses, she forced her voice to speak steadily, "I guess you can't be happy all the time and not need to just cry every once in a while."

Quistis didn't reply to the excuse. Raising a hand, she gently rubbed circles against the light purple t-shirt on Selphie's back. This seemed to trigger the floodgates as the girl choked out a louder sob and turned to hug her. Silently, the instructor kept the comforting massage going while Selphie cried against her shoulder.

Eventually, the tears subsided. With wet streaks running down her cheeks, the copper haired girl pulled away with a few sniffs. Swiping again at the salty liquid, she left the telltale redness below slightly puffy eyes.

Quistis wasn't exactly the most sensitive woman in the world. In fact, she was probably second on the ranking list of strict and emotionless, right below Squall. But, that was generally her professional manner only. As a friend, she was much more informal and capable of relating to people. Not just in a practiced mode of fraternizing conduct, but truly relating.

"It's Irvine," Selphie admitted.

Silently, the blonde waited. She was a consoling listener, not a gossiping bosom buddy.

With a wry smile, Selphie once again cast her green-eyed gaze towards the waters in the distance. "I'm in love with him, but everyone knows that by now."

Giving an affirmative nod, Quistis commented, "From the way he's stopped hitting on everything with two legs and a c-cup, I'd say he cares about you too."

Scoffing, Selphie nodded her head as well. "Yeah, we had a talk earlier. I should be tearing through the halls right now. This is what I've been waiting for."

"So, why aren't you?"

"'Cause he's falling in love with someone else," Selphie stated distantly.

"What?" Quistis asked incredulously.

"It was just a jealous crush," the younger woman rambled, "That's how it started. But now, things are different."

Light eyebrows drew together in confusion. Quistis didn't follow.

Selphie regarded her friend with an imploring look. "Am I a bad person to want to hurt Squall like this?"

Frowning, the Head Instructor realized that there was more going on behind the scenes than she'd originally guessed. "Selphie, can you explain a bit more?"

The copper haired girl rubbed her forehead in a frustrated manner. "When Irvine first suspected something going on between Seifer and Squall, he got jealous. At first, he was flipping out because he was attracted to another guy. He came to me, and I told him about how it was normal. I mean, it's hard to not think Squall's cute even on his worst days."

A mild blush crept into the instructor's cheeks as she recalled a time when she'd believed herself to be in love with her former student.

"It _was _just jealousy," Selphie affirmed with a lost look to her eyes. "But, he can't just go off and sleep with someone to find whatever release it is that he used to. Now, it's growing. He said it's more than just a simple crush and I'm afraid that the longer it goes on, the further away he'll become."

"Irvine is in love with Squall?" the Head Instructor reiterated with disbelief.

"He hasn't said so exactly, but that's what is mounting up to be."

With a calculating look, Quistis questioned further, "Does Squall know?"

Selphie replied with a scoff.

With a nod of understanding, Quistis conceded to their leader's obliviousness about his own appeal.

Reluctantly, Selphie confided the most distressing matter she had on her mind. "It's not so much that Irvine's becoming serious about his affections for someone else, as it is my urge to take matters into my own hands. Hyne Quisty, I really think I'll end up hurt Squall with this one."

Confused again, Quistis prompted for more information, "If you're going to challenge him to a duel, I can guarantee that he won't get hurt."

Giggling a little at this, Selphie turned her eyes to stare into light blue ones. Solemnly, her face fell from its slightly amused state. "I'm thinking of asking Squall to sleep with him."

Blinking, Quistis didn't think she'd heard right. "Ask Squall to sleep with Irvine?" she questioned.

"He can't get over it by sleeping with just anyone. And, even if there's no guarantee that it'd work, it's the best solution I've got. I hate seeing him upset like this." Taking a deep breath, Selphie stated a bit more clearly, "I love Squall, but I love Irvine more. If I can help him out, I'll do it even at Squall's expense."

"Selphie, think about what you're saying," Quistis reasoned. "Irvine getting to have sex with Squall is not going to fix any of this. Besides, there's no possible way Squall would ever agree to any of it."

Whimsically smiling, Selphie's eyes turned downward. "I don't doubt that I could find a way. I'm just worried what'll happen to the Commander. I mean, he's totally in love with Seifer, and as much as I don't want to screw that up, I'm totally in love with Irvine."

"Selphie," the Head Instructor spoke cautiously, holding a slightly worried tone, "Are you serious?"

"Absolutely," Selphie replied.

"Well, I don't agree one bit. If jealousy is what caused in the first place, then maybe that's what can fix it."

It took a moment for the instructor's words the set in. Blinking several times, Selphie frowned. "Huh?"

Sighing, Quistis began to explain, granted she had just pieced everything together for herself as well, "If Irvine likes Squall because he can't have him, then maybe he'll like you if he can't have you."

"Quistis," Selphie groaned, "That's the oldest trick in the book. It'd never work."

Raising her eyebrows, Quistis turned to look forward. "And somehow tricking Squall into sleeping with Irvine is?" she questioned mockingly.

Though Selphie opened her mouth to retort, no words came out. After a moment of open mouthed silence, she finally said, "Okay, maybe I could try your way first."

With a small smile, Quistis slung an amicable arm around the girl's shoulders. "Good, cause if you'd decided to go with the other way, I'd have to stop you. Rest assured, you don't ever have to worry about hurting the Commander, cause I won't let you."

Forcefully chuckling, no amusement evident, Selphie replied, "You're kind of scary sometimes."

"We all have something we want to protect."

"I don't hate Squall. It doesn't matter how cold he can be or how many times he sets the lock on Ragnarok's ammunition, I'll still love him." Selphie declared abruptly. As an after note, she grumbled, "Even if he totally stole my man."

With a shake of blonde hair, the older woman assured, "I know, I know. But, you love Irvine more."

"Right," Selphie affirmed.

"I suggest you go out and find yourself a suitable man to play the part," Quistis hinted, changing the subject.

Frowning at the sudden dilemma, Selphie couldn't imagine how she'd be able to do it. Considering she'd just confessed her devoted feelings to Irvine, she doubted it would work. "Irvine knows I love him," she reminded.

Dropping her arm, Quistis shifted to hop off the stage. "That doesn't mean a really cute guy can't come along and flirt shamelessly with you."

Straightening up with a renewed sense of vigor, Selphie questioned aloud, "Who do I know?"

Quistis gave a shrug. Seeing the restored vibrant gleam in those green eyes, she considered her job done. "Find someone younger, someone who will bounce back when you let them down in the end."

"Hmm," Selphie intoned with a sly smirk, "You seem to know an awful lot about this Quisty. Is there something I don't know about you?"

Blushing Quistis set her glasses in place. "No," she spoke a bit stiffly.

Not pushing the matter that made the blonde woman uncomfortable, Selphie clapped her hands together and gave an animated bow of her head. "Thank you Quisty, you really saved me."

"Anytime," the instructor brushed off.

"So, now that you're here-" the copper haired ball of energy began, but was promptly cut off.

"I have some work to take care of. I'd love to help you out here," she gave a gesture to the staging area while she adjusted her bag's strap across her chest, "But, I can't."

"You're just saying that," Selphie complained.

"Maybe," Quistis admitted, but turned on foot and began to walk away.

* * *

Squall walked along the empty corridor of the second floor with Rui at his side. Carrying a stack of folders in his arms, he remained relatively silent. Having just finished an extended meeting with Rui and a small group of senior cadets, he felt confident that the curriculum would be successfully altered for the coming spring semester. He had yet to address the instructors. The dark haired thief from Dollet had been rather adamant about first discussing it with other students. This was definitely not something he'd been too keen on, but he had to admit that while he'd been a student himself less than a year ago, being a gunblade specialist had set his courses up in a rather unique fashion. Not to mention, he'd been a bit more driven than many of the students. 

Input from the senior cadets was well valued. He needed to get a feel for how great a work load students could take on while covering as broad a spectrum of skills, incorporating a little of everything.

Now, after listening to excited suggestions and requests, he'd spent nearly twice the amount of time away than as planned. Seifer was going to throw a fit.

Squall gave a small smile at this. Perhaps he was as sadistic as Seifer, taking pleasure in the other's anger.

Rui walked along side the Commander, feeling ridiculously giddy over the fact that he knew practically nothing about the system, but he'd still been involved with everything. He couldn't help but let it go to his head a little, the way the senior cadets gave him questioning glances while Commander Leonhart treated him special. Even if it was only because he was going to be the one giving instructions during the thieving skills courses.

Carrying his own stack of folders, the dark haired boy kept his mouth closed, but couldn't rid himself of the content smile on his lips.

As they approached the elevator, the familiar voice of Marlboro man called out.

"Squall," Irvine greeted, "I was wondering if we could talk."

Stirred from his musings over Seifer's anger at being away for so long, Squall turned his stormy eyed gaze to the auburn haired gunman leaning against the wall beside the elevator. With a mental shrug, he figured he could stay away a bit longer. It wasn't like he was permanently attached to the ex-knight, just that he had said he'd be back by now. "Sure," he replied.

Standing straight, Irvine walked closer. His violet eyes shifted towards the dark haired boy. "Alone," he specified, "In private."

Brows furrowed for a moment, Squall debated what to do with his folders.

"I can take those back too," Rui suggested, referring to the Commander's stack.

"Can you carry them all?" Squall questioned with doubt.

"No problem," Rui assured, his tone held all the eagerness of a loyal puppy trying to please its master. "You want them in your office?"

Thinking a moment, Squall answered, "Take them to my apartment. Seifer will let you in." The fleeting anger that passed through the gunman's eyes at the mentioning of the ex-knight's name went unnoticed by the pale brunet.

"Got it!" Rui called, his face hidden from view behind his now twice as tall pile.

Squall almost laughed at the fumbling manner in which the younger boy searched for the down button on the elevator.

Turning his attention to Irvine, Squall gave an expectant look that told the taller man to lead the way.


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter Four

Unresolved Issues

Quistis' thoughts strayed to the conversation she'd had with Selphie. Lazily she sat passing time, more than relieved to not be juggling duties of the Headmaster along with filling in for the Commander. It was a pleasant feeling of freedom, that she sorely wished Squall could feel. Her mind was preoccupied though, while she had a small lunch in a café, she churned the pieces over silently while infrequently picking at the Cesar salad in front of her.

Although illogical, she could understand where the green-eyed girl's conclusions had come from. Irvine would never be rid of his promiscuous reputation. No doubt, the gunman had scarce few times when he'd actually become serious about anyone and never serious enough that a quick fling with a new face couldn't sooth the lecherous soul. It stood to reason in a twisted way that if the auburn haired ladies man had changed, had become incapable of so freely having sex, then a quick fling was pointless. No quick fling meant he'd become consumed and, as Selphie saw it, eventually fall in love.

So, without a random rut with whatever short-skirted female he could manage to woo, that left the option of obtaining the person his violet eyes were pining for. And thus with a kiss, though it'd probably have to be more, he'd put to rest the jealous emotions and desires to make the challenging conquest.

Hyne only knew what went on in either the gunman or the pilot's minds, but Quistis understood where the connections were made. With a smirk, the Head Instructor wondered if her understanding on the matter meant she was losing her sanity.

The blonde woman felt a small pang of her own unsettled discomfort about the happenings of the past few weeks. Everyone's lives had just begun to return to normal, with the exception of Squall. But, even he seemed to have settled into the monotonous routine of constant working.

Out of nowhere, everything changed.

Squall and Seifer were dating each other, which was quite possibly the most bazaar development ever. Zell ran off and eloped without so much as a whisper that he'd found someone in the first place. Irvine finally managed to keep control on his libido, only to start harboring mislead feelings for the Commander. And Selphie was beyond smitten and forlorn all at once.

As much as Quistis wanted to use this as an excuse to go out and find herself a handsome boyfriend, she simply couldn't deny her friends their dramatics and hopeful fairytale endings. If everything worked out for Irvine and Selphie, then everyone would settle down once again, but this time with a significant other.

It was like a game of musical chairs that she'd lost. One seat short, she was left standing while everyone else sat beside someone they loved.

Despite all this, Quistis didn't feel sorry for herself. It wasn't her time yet, that handsome man would have to wait. For now, she'd play the arbitrator, making sure nothing got out of hand.

There was a pleasant upturn to the day when the newly wed couple meandered into the very café she was in.

Calling them over, she only hoped Zell didn't recognize the reprimanding glint to her eyes. There were more than a few questions she felt like asking him and his shy bride, not to mention a long due lecture for not inviting any of the them to the wedding. Selphie would have killed to be a bride's maid.

* * *

It wasn't necessarily a hot day, but it was too warm for bomber jackets with fur collars and long brown-leathered trench coats. 

"We need to be in town for this?" Squall questioned with obvious disapproval as he and Irvine walked nearer the courtyard outside the train station.

"Not really, but it helps," Irvine drawled.

There was a limit to how much Squall would do without being given any information. Stopping in his tracks, the brunet frowned before asking, "What is it you wanted to talk to me about?"

In the middle of taking a step, the black material of Irvine's shirt creased with the movement of his back. Frozen like that for a moment longer than Squall thought necessary, the gunman finally turned around with solemn looking violet eyes.

Impassively, Squall waited, though he refrained from impatiently folding his arms and leaning to one foot. Apparently his friends took great offense when he did that to them.

Heaving a dramatic sigh, the gunman slumped his shoulders in defeat. "I just need a sympathetic ear," Irvine conceded. While it wasn't entirely true, he did need to get a few things off his chest.

Scowling, Squall stared at him with bright eyes. Crossing his arms regardless, he quirked a brow in a silent statement.

Reading the look, Irvine held his hands up and defended, "I know, I know. You're not exactly Mr. Sensitivity. But, you're all I got."

The last statement seemed to be the only part that Squall was willing to accept. If the Commander were a last resort, then it was believable. "I have some time to spare," Squall spoke grudgingly, only willing to subject himself to listening to another's troubles because Irvine was such a close friend and because delaying longer would surely piss Seifer off.

Smiling warmly, Irvine gave a small nod of thanks. In gesture of his gratitude he quickly scoured the area and motioned for Squall to follow.

With the assumption that he'd be playing the part of a wall, Squall reclined leisurely on the ground. Perhaps he was weird, but between laying on the planked slope that lead upwards to the tracks and the steel I-beams of that one unfinished warehouse on the other side of town, he found the hard surfaces to be quite comfortable. Nearby was the artisan's house and below them, below the gently sloped ramp that his legs dangled off of, was the courtyard outside the train station. Not two feet away was where he'd been crouched whilst pathetically weak soldiers tormented the hippie of a mayor.

Nearly smiling at the memory of the distraught peacemaking, pipe-smoking man, Squall suddenly remembered he was supposed to be listening. This was why people didn't come to him for comfort or consolation. If a person needed something killed, he was their man. If a person needed consolation, he never even registered on the list of possibilities. He wasn't too good as a listener either. He usually found it too boring and wandered amidst his own thoughts, which became obvious when his eyes became distant and he started pulling facial expressions that belied his attentiveness.

Still, he'd make an effort. Perhaps he'd succeed in hearing most of what the gunman had to say.

Once again, he had to force himself to stop thinking and just listen.

"I've found someone else," Irvine sighed out as though it were the end of the world.

Cringing, Squall prayed to Hyne for the patience. Relationship troubles were definitely the last matter he should play consult to. It also didn't help that it was perhaps the last subject he wanted to be listening to.

There was a pause in which it almost seemed like Irvine was expecting him to comment. There was only so much the stubborn brunet could be forced to do. In a show that he had no intentions of speaking even once, Squall stretched lazily and settled his arms behind his head.

The message was clear enough, 'I'll probably fall asleep, but hey, I wasn't gonna be an active participant in this conversation anyway.'

Violet eyes peeked to the side, staring fixedly at the exposed rim of flesh where the Commander's white t-shirt rode up, toned muscle beneath pale, smooth skin.

Licking his lips, the gunman fought to lock all impure thoughts away.

"I think it's getting' a bit serious with this one," he ventured further into his confessional tale of woe and unwitting attempt at subtle hinting. "Selphie knows, but she's too sweet to turn me away."

Another moment passed with silence. The distant rattle of an approaching train came. The silence lasted until the loud rattling grew and the ground around them shook.

When the roar died down and the quiet hum of the near ghost town resumed, Irvine spoke again. "Hyne Squall, everything about… _them_ turns my head around. But it's entirely one sided," he stated in defeat.

Cracking his lids, dark lashed shifted as gray-blue eyes peered upwards. The sun was pretty much overhead which made it difficult to open his eyes completely. There was just something about it that drove him to speak up. Whether he was growing softer or just feeling concerned on Selphie's behalf.

"We always want what we can't have," Squall spoke, breaking both the silence and the unspoken rule that he'd be entirely passive.

With none too hidden surprise, the auburn haired man stared. Licking his lips again, he gave a nod of agreement.

"Irvine, just let it go."

"I've tried," he refuted. The concept of just letting it go had been the centerfold of his solutions and thinking from the beginning.

Squall didn't reply, but shut his eyes once again. Briefly, he wondering how much time had gone by already. The sun felt nice. If he got any paler, which probably wasn't possible, Seifer was going to start taking jabs at him.

Stormy eyes snapped open abruptly, brightly lit as his pupils narrowed in the bright light. 'Hyne,' he groaned inwardly. Momentarily forgetting about Irvine, he silently berated himself. All his thoughts kept finding their way back to the stupid blond knight. Was he actually considering being outside for the sake of tanning? Sweet Hyne, he could fall no lower.

Scowling, Squall sent silent curses to the arrogant knight.

Irvine stared off blankly. He wondered if Squall would put two and two together. But, he doubted that. He couldn't exactly blame Squall, the guy had always been oblivious, not to mention he wasn't the most likely candidate for crushing on the Commander.

Hyne, how he wanted to kiss those lips. It was such a tease, but he'd been the one to call the brunet out in the first place. The Commander had no clue, lying back like that, it was just screaming 'fuck me!'.

It wasn't right. Seifer was such an arrogant asshole all the time. Since they were kids, Squall and the knight had hated each other. So how was it possible for the oblivious lion next to him to now be in love with the cocky jerk off?

What if the stormy eyed brunet just needed to be taken in order to find release? What if Squall thought Seifer was the only one to do it? The blond bastard had probably pressured Squall into saying it with the threat that they wouldn't have sex. Irvine had already made the offer to help relieve sexual frustration, but Squall was probably too innocent to ever use a friend, so using the enemy was better.

"Squall… do you really love him?" the gunman questioned with worry.

Pulled from his internal monologue that had mainly consisted of bashing the man who seemed to never leave his mind, Squall stared up in shock at the gunman's profiled face. There was a moment of debate, between telling Irvine that it was nobody's business and between not answering. But it sounded like the auburn haired man already knew.

Sighing, Squall concluded that loving Seifer was no more shocking than sleeping with him. "Yes," he spoke at length. He wanted to kick himself for sounding so content about it.

"Why?" Irvine blurted out angrily, turning to look down on the Commander.

With a frown, Squall regarded Irvine with an incredulous gaze. The gunman was insane if he thought he'd recount a list of reasons pertaining to why he loved Seifer.

Brows drawn in a slightly anguished fashion, violet eyes pleaded for some rationality to it all and perhaps the admittance that it was all a lie. "Why can't it be me?" he accused.

Incredulity quickly changed to sheer confusion.

* * *

There was a loud fluttering of papers and folders as the tall stack of files Rui carried spilled to the floor. He managed to keep a hold of some, a few, but the sudden jump he'd given after being scared shitless caused the greater portion to slide and crash in a great big mess of now unorganized paper work. 

Cringing, Rui silently cursed while his heart settled down.

In a moment of stillness, Seifer glanced from the petrified boy to the mess littering the corridor outside the apartment. Blinking his jade eyes, he almost wanted to laugh at the kid's expense. Not even apologizing for snapping at the knocking visitor while opening the door, he moved along to what he was more interested in. "Where's Squall?" he asked, shifting his gaze to look around the empty hallway as though the pretty piece of ass would appear out of thin air.

"Yeah, sure, no problem sir. I woulda prolly dropped 'em anyway, even if you hadn't just scared me half to death!" the former thief berated with a sort of chastising sarcasm.

"Where the hell is Squall?" the blond growled in reiteration.

Rolling his dark eyes at the ex-knight's overly protective display of always keeping an eye on the Commander, even within Garden walls, Rui answered, "He's with Marlboro man."

Green eyes narrowed dangerously. "Kinneas?" the tall knight uttered as a spoken thought.

Picking up on the odd reaction, Rui added, "He wanted to talk with the Commander."

"Where?" Seifer questioned sharply.

Taken aback by the blond man's harsh tone, the dark haired boy stuttered, "I, uh, d-didn't see where they went."

"Dammit!" Seifer cursed. Stepping passed the newbie, the ex-knight practically leapt over the paper-strewn area, a small and insignificant gesture, and began stalking away.

Stopping abruptly, Seifer turned back. "Shove that shit inside!" he barked to the thieving brat. When the boy seemed incapable of complying, he took a few steps back and leaned down to grab some of the folders and loose papers. With haphazard aim, he chucked them through the open doorway.

Though delayed, Rui followed the knight's lead with confusion.

Closing the door on the mess, Seifer once again began stalking away. When he noticed the kid wasn't following he turned back and glared impatiently. "Get movin' you thief. It's faster if we both look for him."

With dawning understanding as to what he was supposed to be doing, Rui jogged to close the distance. "Why not call him?" he reasoned logically. He really didn't see the problem. The gunman was supposedly a close friend of Commander Leonhart, they probably hung out together all the time. Why was the war hero's bodyguard all in a huff?

"Because," Seifer grumbled as they swept down the empty hall, "He never keeps his phone on him."

* * *

It was dark, the final rays of a setting sun lost behind the low horizon. The window in the kitchen no longer faced west, so little light had been making it through long before dusk. 

Seifer didn't bother turning the lights on, he found that if he moved from his place, he'd likely start searching through Garden again or make his way into town. Though it was almost certain that Squall had gone into town, he didn't want to risk the chance of being gone while the Commander returned.

The kid had left a little bit ago, the apartment now lacking his annoyed complaining over the huge mess the knight had caused. It had been Seifer's only distraction from his antsy feelings, casting amused glances behind himself to see the thief slowly sorting everything out and trying to smooth out the more crumpled papers, not to mention the playful cat creating a few gouges whilst playing in the mess that slid around when pounced upon. Now, it was silent and he had nothing to do but wait.

Waiting was not his strong suit, but running around furiously while searching for Squall was pathetic on its own. It also might stir up trouble. It wasn't like he was incapable of being away from the brunet, far from. Granted, he much preferred being close, but it was certain to become annoying after a while. Still, after the all too recent episode with Epson and the fact that Kinneas had less than innocent intentions, Seifer was beside himself with anxiousness and simmering anger. It didn't help that when the brunet returned, the younger man would find it irrational and overprotective of him.

Why was it that this sort of shit always happened on Sundays? He seriously hated Sundays now. There should be a new rule that he and Squall should spend each second day of the weekend locked away in the bedroom doing nothing but having hot, steamy sex. Everyone could be happy then. He wouldn't lose sight of the Commander, he'd get to use that beautifully constructed body for his own purposes, and cowboys wouldn't be nearby to make any lecherous moves. 'Okay,' Seifer conceded, so only he'd benefit from the whole locked away on Sunday's idea. But, Squall owed him, after throwing out that walking around nude in the apartment deal.

Still, as the ticking of the clock seemed to echo in the darkened living room, the blond found the idea to become exponentially better with each seconds hand tick. He considered taking it out on the black fur ball sleeping soundly on the cushion beside him. It might prove to be even a miniscule distraction if the sleeping pet were awake, acting energetic like before, but he wasn't quite so desperate as to wake a cat for entertainment.

Sulking with his impatience, Seifer craned his head back and rest it against the back of the couch. The only assurance he had was that Squall was perfectly able to handle himself and not kindhearted enough to spare a friend the loss of an overly active dick.

A fleeting smile graced his face upon remembering the victory his little lion had claimed the other day, pressing that dagger against his groin while those steely silver eyes burned brightly.

At the sound of the main door sliding open, Seifer sat straight. Turning slightly, he sat in place with forced patience. Just when he thought he couldn't wait any longer for the tidy brunet to finish taking his shoes off, Squall's form came into view.

Seifer wasn't sure what to expect, but he knew what he thought he should be getting, and that was an apology. However, he did not anticipate an angry brunet accusingly glaring at him.

Walking closer, Squall shot daggers at the blond knight. Scarce illumination was hardly a factor when expressing such obvious malcontent.

"You knew didn't you?" Squall hissed out.

Fazed by the unexpected reaction, thinking that he should be the one pissed off, Seifer stared with confusion. After seeing no reason for the lion to bare its teeth, Seifer recalled that he had every right to be pissed. 'A couple hours,' his reminded himself. Squall said he'd be gone a couple hours, give or take a few minutes. Not all afternoon. It was dark outside, and he'd been waiting and searching ever corner of Garden for the passed five hours, which didn't include the time for the oh-so-important meeting.

Returning the glare, Seifer considered what he'd _known _that he might be accused of. "I _knew_ you were out gallivanting with the fucking cowboy. I assume you had a fun time, given that you were gone so long without telling me. Why didn't you bring your little boyfriend in to meet me? Or did he kiss you at the door and call it a night?"

Scowling, Squall stood just behind the back of the couch while glaring down. At the moment, the brunet was beyond pissed and the knight's comments were taking him to a whole knew level of anger. "Yeah, I'm sure there was nothing that might have taken up my time," he retorted accusingly.

"You left without telling me!" Seifer yelled suddenly. Standing up, he in turn glared down on the brunet.

"If I tell you every time I lift a finger, should I also start getting a check up with Kadowaki after every headache?"

"I'm here for you Leonhart," Seifer bit out in reminder.

Crossing his arms and clenching his jaw, Squall fought the urge to knock the blond on his tanned ass. "Yes, I assumed the part where we're together means you're here for me. What I'm shady on is the part where you get to order me around like I'm suddenly going to start listening to you, not to mention never leave your side," the brunet hissed with seething coldness.

"I'm your bodyguard."

"So I've been told," Squall bit out.

Lips pressed thin, Seifer resisted the urge to start yelling. He could have gone into town to retrieve the moody princess, but he hadn't for Squall's sake, knowing he'd get pissy. "I let you go. What I'm pissed about is that you left without a word and didn't bother letting me know-"

Cutting the ex-knight off, Squall pointed out, "I sent Rui here with the files. You knew who I was with and apparently where I went. Now that your little power trip is over with, I'd like to ask you why you didn't tell me about Irvine."

"Power trip?" Seifer remarked incredulously. "No, this isn't about you doing what I say, this is about the fact that there are a hundred more guys just like Epson out there."

Squall didn't comment on this, he simply glared.

"I know princess!" Seifer shouted, reading the brunet's meaning. "You can take care of yourself, _in a fair fight_." He stressed the point that didn't seem to have sunken in yet. Squall had no idea how crazy he'd gone when the younger man had been taken from him, and that had been while he was right there to do something about it.

Refusing to be deterred, Squall stayed on track with the issue that had brought him in the apartment so angry in the first place. "Irvine kissed me," he stated flatly. "You knew he liked me, that's why you guys were fighting at The Harold. Did you think it was something I didn't need to know? If you know something you'd better damn well tell me."

Seifer remained silent, not responding and backing down. His gaze broke to stare near the entryway. "I'll fucking kill him," he muttered to himself. Shaking his head at the loss the rest of the group would feel, Seifer stepped around the couch.

Rolling his eyes, Squall took a few steps to the side to block the man's movement. "You're not hurting Irvine," the shorter brunet spoke quietly, losing some of that anger for the first time.

The next moment, Squall was against the nearby wall. Seifer fisted the thin cotton shirt with one hand, pressing the brunet back whilst glaring furiously. "Tell me, did you enjoy it?"

Squall's remained unresponsive for all of two seconds. With a right hook that'd make Zell proud, Squall punched Seifer square in the jaw. "Bastard," he hissed. "It wouldn't have happened if you'd told me!"

Dropping away, Seifer took the punch with all its painful strength. Straightening back up, he retorted, "Cowboy didn't tell me shit, it was obvious. You wanna get pissy about bein' blindsided by lecher boy's confession, then maybe you should have opened your eyes."

"He's my friend," Squall stated. Wasn't there some rule about friends not liking each other in that way?

"And I was number one on your hit list! Hyne Squall, look in the mirror for once. You might not find anything interesting in it, but the rest of the world does."

"You need to start telling me everything, before it blows up on me like that," Squall spoke evenly, though he seemed to have a rather threatening tone. How was he supposed to have known about Irvine? Blindsided was an understated, he'd been ambushed and rendered helpless from shock.

"And _you_ need to pull your head out of your ass."

"You're not hurting Irvine," Squall affirmed.

Raising a hand to his stubble-ridden jaw, Seifer gently soothed it and worked it back and forth in a testing manner. "I think we've established that."

"And I didn't enjoy it," the brunet affirmed once more, glaring at the over reacting knight for his words.

Lowering his hand, Seifer stepped closer. "I know," he whispered apologetically. Reaching out he clasped his fingers beneath the younger man's chin. "Don't make me tail you. I worry. I don't want a repeat of what happened before. Let me be where I can watch over you."

Scoffing, Squall continued to glare.

Seifer grinned. The lack of refusal was the most consent he was going to get, as always. Leaning in, he gently pressed his lips against those soft and pliant ones. Snaking an arm around a slim waist, he pulled back enough to comfortably look into his temperamental kitten's eyes. "Trepe would kill me if anything happened," he said with a smirk.

Determined blue eyes were unamused. "You're an overprotective, overly possessive moron, and I won't apologize for anything." Standing as tall as he could, Squall darted his tongue out and licked the knight's lips. There was the tang of blood, a small cut from the hit. Deserved as it might have been, he had a greater urge to lick it than cause more damage.

Seifer chuckled, positively loving his kitten's actions. "Apology accepted," he murmured as that tongue continued to lick him. "I'm still angry with you," he stated when the brunet finished.

"I'm not a forgiving person," Squall interjected quickly as Seifer roughly grabbed him and pressed him against the wall in a slightly less enraged manner as before.

"That's part of what I like about you Leonhart, you're cold… until I make you cry out my name."

"You talk too much," Squall declared, wrapping his hands around the blond's neck and pulling him down.

Seifer grinned impishly. "I can either yell at you in the morning or spank you tonight," he offered with a firm squeeze to the Commander's shapely ass.

"Shut up," the blue-eyed Commander growled in response. It had been a rather mind-boggling day, where the events wouldn't quit their constant run through his head. With hopes of becoming completely consumed by Seifer and being able to find a rather pleasurable way to shut his mind down, he didn't want to waste more time.

Seifer came to the conclusion that they'd never resolve any of their many arguments if they couldn't stop….

As those pout lips parted, Seifer pressed closer, plunging his tongue deeply and tasting that ever-present sweetness. They battled, as they were prone to doing, the kiss a mesh of their tongues and lips vying to keep up and keep control. These moments, the unresolved issues and arguing that were put on hold for the sake of screwing each other, were becoming as ritualistic as their swordplay. It was amazing. It was wet and hot, and above all else addictive.

With deft fingers that were becoming more skillful with the practice, Seifer began to make quick work of the stormy eyed man's belts.

As the tall knight walked backwards, Squall took the hint and followed without breaking the kiss. His hands kept busy with unbuttoning the blond's shirt.

Their progress through the darkened apartment included feverish kissing and panted breaths, every so often a thud would sound as Seifer released one of Squall's belts.

TBC…

A/N Hehe, I promise thatI didn't stiff you for the 'quality time' between the two. But, the chapter was already at a good length for me, and I felt like I haven't updated in ages, so I cut it off there. Oh and also, the kiss with Irvine is way too good not to give details on, so that will be later, from his view. Well, I'll have spring break soon, so I'm hoping to get a lot of writing done. (Then again, I'll be on vacation and I tend to not let my classes get in the way with my writing in the first place, so it might be the exact opposite. But, I love Seifer and Squall, so I think I'll be hard put to stay away from my laptop.) Anyway, thank you guys for the awesome reviews! you rock!


	5. Chapter 5

Warning: This chapter contains explicit content. Nothing necessarily too graphic, but it pretty much sums up to one big lemon. So, if that isn't your cup o' tea, then I'm sorry but you've chosen the wrong story to read.

Chapter Five

Sexcapades

With a final cry of ecstasy, Squall arched his back and came into the pumping fist on his member. Muscles contracted as he strained in final release and warm liquid shot into him as the blond knight grunted with his own sating end.

Squall rested his forehead against a broad shoulder while he continued to catch his breath and wallow in the euphoric feel. Still filled by the knight's cock, he stayed in place on the man's lap.

"Fucking Hyne," Seifer hissed. As the brunet rest against his shoulder, he shifted one of his hands from around the slim waist and eased his fingers along the center of the Commander's back. Following the small cleft where the toned muscles ran over the spine, he ran his fingers lower until he was brushing against the base of his penis embedded in the tight entrance.

To the knight's dismay, there was more than his own fluid seeping in a messy pool. There were trace amounts of blood. "You okay?" he questioned, trying not to sound too concerned lest he anger the kitten.

Nodding, Squall wrapped his arms around the other's neck, hugging him close, hunched awkwardly to compensate for their joining.

They'd spared little time for preparation, making for a rather premature penetration. Well, it had actually been Squall who couldn't wait. The moment the clothes were off, the brunet had straddled the larger blond and made haste with the foreplay, skipping right to the best part. Against Seifer's initial protests, Squall bit the bullet and didn't even seem to wait very long for the adjustment. The second the Commander had begun to move, rocking up and then down to push the knight's cock deeper, Seifer had been silenced. The knight's hands had automatically gone to the younger man's hips to aide in the thrusting movements.

There was no way it had not been painful. But the contorted expression of pained perseverance had quickly altered to pleasured arousal.

After a prolonged moment, which was made unusual by Squall's hugging, Seifer set his hands at the younger man's hips to ease him off. The brunet's tightening grip led the ex-knight to think that something might be wrong.

"Squall?" he questioned, "Not that I'm complaining, but I don't think it's going to be easy to sleep with my dick in your ass."

"I want more," Squall stated simply.

Going stiff for a moment, the blond shot a look of uncertain hopefulness to the wall at the other end of the room. "More as in-" cut off by a set of swollen red lips, Seifer grinned while enjoying the feel of an aggressive Squall. "I see," he acknowledged impishly, momentarily breaking the kiss. He'd learned by now not to set too many limits. And for whatever reason, his corrupted pet was feeling rather frisky.

All further ideas of what he'd do for round two were banished as the little sex demon began to rock against him.

* * *

Sporting both a bruised ego and eye, Irvine strode through Balamb Garden with an absent mind. His brain didn't seem to register his actions until he was raping his knuckles against his own door. Looking around himself, momentarily stunned by no longer being in town, he almost didn't realize where he was. Keying in the code, he walked inside.

Instinctively, he reached a hand up to remove his hat. With a frown, he realized that it was at Selphie's place. It just stood as a reminder of how screwed up his day had been. Not even wearing his black hat, he was practically walking backwards. Although, as much as he liked the new one, he wasn't nearly as attached to it as the one The Reaper's Angel had ruined.

Flipping the lights on, he entered the living room. Between always being at Selphie's apartment and never hosting any dinner parties, he had little need for luxuries. There was no television or couch, no coffee table or shelf with all his favorite movies.

The walls were adorned with his most prized possessions, his guns. On the largest wall, where a nice plasma screen could hang, a case for Exeter was mounted. It was in this that he stored his most cherished weapon. Where a couch could have been was a plain wooden table. A few odds and ends littered the top, an oiled rag, a rusty metal box in the center, and various smaller gun parts.

It wasn't exactly appealing to the eye, but it served his purposes.

Selecting a gun at random, he set it down with a soft thud on the table. Pulling out one of four chairs around the rectangular seating area, he plopped down. Reaching out, he drew the bulky metal box over. It creaked as it opened, in need of a tune up itself. Inside this unpolished, ancient tackle box were his cleaning supplies.

With deft hands he took the gun apart, the sounds of metal almost patterned. There seemed a rough handling that belied a frustration he couldn't hide in even the most caring of actions.

How could he have been such an idiot? It wasn't that he'd had any idea of how to go about informing the dear Commander of his affections. Still, he was pretty sure that among the absolute wrongs was directly confessing and trying to make out with the boy. Hyne knew he'd been lucky not to be castrated for such actions. Though there was a good chance that he'd made out alive with naught but a black eye because the inexperienced man had been so shocked. The look to those steely eyes had truly been a priceless moment of unguarded emotion.

Somehow, Irvine found it hard to believe that anyone could not have known about it all from the start. Was anyone ever so oblivious? He hadn't exactly kept his entranced stares hidden. Watching the soft sway of hips, acutely staring at the delicately cut features of the man's face. There was also the less than secretive dislike for Seifer.

How could Squall not have pieced it all together? Was it some balanced compensation for being good at everything else, that the Commander was beyond inept socially? No one was that oblivious, except the most desirable man alive. It was just cruel to have such a beautifully constructed body, delicate yet strong features, and a fucking minx in the sack controlled by some million to one chance of complete innocence.

Squall would make the perfect lover. He doubted he'd ever tire of coming back at night and finding that piece of artwork laying in bed waiting. Surely, if Seifer could fix those working habits with a bit of sex, then he could manage to get Squall to take a year long vacation. After being around the allusive young man he was already accustomed to that introverted and silent behavior.

Silence was something he'd probably appreciate in the long run. No words left more time for other things. _Things_ such as kissing those soft lips and running his hands over that lithe body.

It seemed like their time in town had both sped up and slowed down. Following his remark about being in Seifer's place, the tension had grown. Naturally, the dear innocent young man had still been miles from understanding. So, like a true friend would, he'd given Squall a little help.

* * *

With an attempt to sit back up, Squall shifted to his elbows. Never breaking from the amethyst gaze, his mind was almost numb as it recessed to process the implied meaning behind the gunman's words. It was due to this uncertain and uneasy shock that the pale Commander fell entirely susceptible to Irvine's actions.

Swiftly moving before the stormy eyed brunet could manage to gain any leverage, Irvine turned and leaned over the man. It seemed as though the Commander had every intention of saying something, but when the words seemed delayed, Irvine moved closer. Before Squall could either lie back down or sit further up, he set his arms on each side of a slim waist. In a quick and smooth movement, Irvine pressed his lips to Squall's.

The sliver of a gap between the Commander's stunned lips gave him the smallest of openings. Well practiced, he moved his lips against surprisingly soft and plush ones. When he'd taken the briefest of tastes, licking just inside Squall's mouth, he abruptly found himself flat on his back.

"Squall," the gunman immediately spoke with concern, not wanting the Commander to misunderstand too much.

"You kissed me?" the brunet remarked with a questioning tone. Gray-blue eyes seemed to fluctuate between shock and sheer confusion.

"Yeah," Irvine agreed while making to stand up.

Standing with an affronted stance, Squall stared in disbelief. As if questioning the existence of his lips in the first, he tentatively reached a hand to them. "You kissed me," he repeated, this time in accusation.

"You don't really love him. I can be that for you."

It was a fast blur of hard knuckles that Irvine probably should have been able to dodge, but Squall could hit as swiftly and powerfully as Zell at times. Receiving the painful punch, the auburn haired man found himself once again on his back, sprawled out after being leveled by the impact.

"Fuck, what was that for?" he cursed out in immediate reprimand.

This seemed to confuse the pale brunet, suddenly making it seem like the physical retaliation was uncalled for. "You didn't ask," Squall defended, reverting to an almost childlike form of reasoning whilst treading such unfamiliar territory.

Jaw clenched, the gunman struggled to his feet with a hand clamed to his left eye. His head was pounding, but that was minimal in comparison to the ache his cheekbone and eye socket gave. It was out of an instinctive reaction of witty sarcasm that he responded, "So, if I ask, does that make it okay?"

With a noise of indignation that almost sounded like a growl, Squall folded his arms uncomfortably and glared down toward the courtyard below.

To Irvine it was an obvious stance of someone awaiting both an explanation and apology. Finding that persistence was often rewarded, the violet-eyed cowboy pressed further. Taking a gentle step closer while lowering his hand, Irvine said, "I want you."

Flustered, Squall backed away. Like a caged lion searching for an escape, the Commander glanced around. Hyne knew he needed time to think about it all before even understanding it, let alone figuring out the correct course of action.

"Squall," Irvine spoke softly, his voice carrying longing.

"No," was all the edgy brunet said before gracefully dropping off the wooden platform.

* * *

Squall wondered if they might end up breaking the bed, or at least dislodging it from its bolted place against the wall. Seifer was thrusting madly into him, pounding deeply with audible slaps against him. It was overwhelming, the feel of the knight inside of him, impaling him over and over again, constantly hitting him in just the right spot.

Seifer wondered if he'd end up breaking Squall. His thrusts were so needy and fierce that he was certain no person could take such rough penetration. But for all his worries, the ecstatic moans of pleasure and unbidden cries of his name assuaged all doubts. Squall was loving it, finding it absolutely orgasmic.

The brunet was prostrated on the bed, chest near flat against the tangled sheets and mattress. The ex-knight's hands kept a firm grip on slim hips, making sure the Commander's knees didn't carry too much burden whilst propping that sweet ass aloft for his plundering.

A thin sheen of sweat glistened on the blond knight's brow. The continued festivities were far too enjoyable to possibly complain about, but it was still proving a workout. His kitten seemed insatiable. In thirty years, he feared he might need to start taking some aphrodisiacs to get it up in time for a second or third round.

As it was, he was youthful and Squall was too hot not to grow immediately hard over. This being their third act of debauchery, rutting furiously without care or want save for each other, Seifer was certain they'd be sleeping long into the following morning. There also stood a good chance that Squall wouldn't be capable of walking at all, not even a heavily hunched and slow paced stagger. But Hyne help him if he couldn't stop pounding as deeply into that tight hole as possible.

"Seif-er, haahh, I'm-ahh!" the stream of coherent words forming any warning were lost as Seifer violently pulled out nearly all the way and crashed back in. Just when it seemed like his body would collapse, his arms no longer able to give resistance against the headboard, he came for at least the third time that night.

Not a moment later, Seifer leaned over the lithe form. Pressing against the pale back and pushing in deep, he ceased his thrusts as he spurt cum into Squall's gripping channel. "Squall," he hissed out huskily as he gave a few final thrusts to finish the deed.

Passed panting, Squall gasped for air as he blinked and tried to rid himself of the spots dancing along his vision. Although it went against his very nature as a dutiful leader, it was times like these that he seriously considered simply retiring and spending his days having sex. If it was true that some men started as early as fourteen, perhaps even younger, then he'd wasted several years of his life. Perhaps the insatiable lust he felt for the blond knight was his body's way of making up for lost time.

With little grace the two forms sunk to the bed, exhausted and ready for sleep. Not wanting to squash the smaller man, Seifer eased out of the slick hole, his recently deposited ejaculation trailing out. They'd have to change the sheets again, too caught up in the moment to take care with not making a mess.

Rolling to his side, he haphazardly tore at the mussed sheets and turned them down.

Squall knew what Seifer had in mind, but he took an extended moment of stillness, laying atop the bed and catching his breath. Gently, knowing that his body was going to protest, he sluggishly pushed up. He needed to clean himself up. There was no way he could sleep comfortably with so much semen covering his thighs and trickling from his ass.

"Where you goin'?" the blond asked, afraid to see Squall walking around. It was one thing to tell his conscience that a rough sexcapades session was exactly what Squall wanted while he was fucking the man. Afterwards, when his conscience spoke with a more clear-headed logic, he couldn't help but feel a bit guilty. At this point, Squall was far from the virgin, but as a man, he was pretty sure the male body was not meant to be thrust into so harshly and repeatedly, no matter how good it might feel.

Humoring the concerned husband with an explanation, Squall mumbled, "Bathroom."

Seifer was torn between guilt and amusement. Part of him wanted to see the stubborn man try and walk at this point, but at the same time he knew he was responsible. Then again, how responsible could one person be with a pale body riding him like his dick was the greatest fucking pleasure giving source in the world?

A small grin spread across his face as the Commander swung one leg off the edge of the bed. If Squall flopped to the ground, then he'd be obligated to carry the younger man. What a prime opportunity. Avidly, he watched and waited, not wanting to give himself away.

Jade eyes followed the naked form, quite enjoying the moment of watching as much as the prospect of carrying the less than cuddly Commander.

And Squall went down, cursing furiously upon colliding with the floor. Seifer was at his side a little too eagerly, but the brunet seemed a bit too preoccupied to take notice.

Gingerly, Seifer kneeled down and hooked an arm under slightly bent knees. Just as he slipped his other arm around the man's back, Squall jerked away.

"Seifer," the brunet hissed in warning, the message clear.

With a roll of his stark green eyes, Seifer bowed his head so that disheveled golden locks hid expressive eyes. "Calm down princess, it's just to the bathroom." Not waiting for any show of acceptance, he tightened his hold and pulled the lighter framed brunet up to his chest. With ease, he stood up, taking the tense princess with him.

"I can manage," Squall protested with a push to the tanned knight's chest. Truthfully, it might take an hour to make it out his bedroom door. Not even resulting from too much pain, his legs just didn't seem to have any strength. His muscles almost felt numb, making it difficult to discern what he should do. Hyne knew he wouldn't be standing straight for a solid couple of days without taking a potion, but he'd be damned if it hadn't felt unbelievably good getting that way.

With a grin, Seifer hefted the man in his arms, jostling Squall just enough to prove his point. At the sharp intake of air he knew he'd gotten his point across, causing the pain that came with any abrupt movement.

Glaring towards the floor, Squall reluctantly accepted the helping hand. "Bastard," he growled in concession.

Chuckling, Seifer affectionately nuzzled a cheek against Squall's mussed mop of chocolate hair. "You're the one who hates it when I feel bad," he admonished.

One of these days, he was going to keep enough sense about him to teach Squall a lesson, show the Commander exactly what making love was supposed to be. He didn't doubt that the brunet cared about him or that Squall wasn't merely going through any motions, but when was the last time they'd spent their time together simply watching TV or something inane like that? Spending time together that didn't involve fighting of fucking would probably turn out to be the biggest turn of events ever, but he was determined to do everything lovers did together with Squall.

Relaxing ever so slightly in the odd hold, Squall commented, "I wanted it." It was sex, not a walk in the park. It was rough and messy, and he'd never had any glorified perceptions about it. It wasn't awkward, but entirely natural. A month ago he would never have been able to picture himself so much as sleeping in the same room as the ex-knight, but now he couldn't picture himself sleeping without the blond's broad form wrapped around him. Was it unusual to be so attracted to Seifer? Disregarding the fact that it was his childhood rival, the last person in existence that he would have ever pictured himself becoming involved with, he wondered whether it was normal to become so unraveled around the man.

He wasn't his usual stoic self, at least not like around the others, but there stood a good chance that he was never himself around Seifer. Quistis, among others, was under the general opinion that he was different around the blond, or that Seifer had always carried some upper-handed influence on him. But none of that explained why he became so emotional. Either angry, content, secretly happy, or completely aroused he never felt so much as when he was with Seifer. And damn the knight for using that against him. Being carried like some incapable child elicited a quick-fired anger that nearly stomped out the sated feel of having just had sex.

Seifer reined in his amusement when he felt the urge to laugh at the flare of anger in stormy blue eyes. Once again nuzzling Squall's hair, he hid his face until he felt confident he wouldn't show his utter amusement. He felt like a masochist, falling in love with the brunet's temperamental and angry nature. "We'll sleep in my bed, after a bath," he whispered heatedly against silky strands.

Squall squirmed every so slightly, but gave no verbal or physical protests.

* * *

Irvine was stirred from a light sleep at the knocking on his door. Groggily casting aside the blanket, he scratched his head while standing up. When the knocking persisted he called out, "I'm comin'."

Running a hand across his face, he started at the pain on the left side. "Damn right hooks," he complained while striding across the studio like area of his apartment. He nearly ran into the table as his feet strayed from their beeline.

The knocking sounded again, the visitor apparently impatient.

The gunman raked a hand through loose auburn hair, smoothing out non-existent tangles. Frowning, he wondered what emergency had arisen that demanded his attention without so much as a call ahead of time.

"What?" the gunman half growled as the door slid open. The second the caller's form was revealed, violet eyes widened and his mouth nearly fell open. Of all people he was not expecting the Commander.

"You never asked me," the brunet said earnestly, taking an unwarranted step through the door.

Suddenly aware that he was wearing nothing but a pair of briefs, violet eyes shifted with an odd feeling of demureness. At the cool touch of gentle fingers just below his left eye the gunman very nearly tripped over his feet as he staggered back.

"I'm sorry," Squall whispered while locking eyes and speaking quietly.

Gulping, Irvine had a million questions running through his head. Unable to decide what to ask first regarding what happened earlier that day, he settled on questioning the most immediate topic. "What didn't I ask you?"

A small smile pulled naturally red lips upwards. "You never asked to kiss me," the Commander replied with an almost expectant look.

A heated flush washed over Irvine as his mind began to process the general atmosphere. Giving the brunet a once over, he took in the black tank top and baggy jeans with a lick to his lips. There were times when the pale man looked positively sinful, making his mouth literally water in craving. The barest hint of the Commander's midriff was exposed with the dark denim that nearly fell off slim hips. The longish strands of dark brown hair seemed rather kempt for their usual displaced manner.

With an instinctive reading on the situation, the gunman ventured to seduce the pretty boy he'd already been rejected by. "And if I ask?" he questioned, dropping his tone and regaining his usual confidence. Straightening slightly, he stood with his exposed torso proudly, more than aware that his lithe figure and toned body had caused many a woman to become riddled with desire.

Not replying, Squall gave Irvine a look that implied the gunman should find out for his own self.

Reaching a hand out, the auburn haired man daringly cupped a pale cheek. "And where is your good sir knight?"

"I wouldn't know," Squall replied, subtly leaning into the touch.

"Let me kiss you," Irvine said with urgency. There was a gleam to those bright gray-blue eyes, visible even in the dim light provided by luminous corridor outside.

With a sigh that seemed to release a year of tension, the brunet nuzzled the calloused hand at his cheek. Brashly capturing a thumb between parted lips, he gently sucked on the appendage. "Is that all you'll do?" Squall questioned with unhidden want for more.

It was nearly a minute of silence before Irvine remembered he should say something, not to mention breath after unknowingly holding his breath. "How 'bout that kiss?" he drawled smoothly.

Drawing the thumb into his mouth all the way, swirling his tongue around the digit, Squall stepped closer and gazed up in an almost coy manner. The coyness was completely false given the sucking of the thumb, but that was of no consequence.

Closing his eyes for a moment, the gunman relished the arousing feel of the pale Commander sucking on his finger. "Hyne," he spoke as he realized that the brunet had a rather talented knack for the act.

At the cool absence of that heated mouth, Irvine opened his eyes again. The concerned look to those stormy eyes grounded him a bit.

Almost imploringly, the brunet cocked his head back slightly to better meet the violet gaze. "You're my friend, he was my enemy."

"I know, but you won't be using me. I want you," Irvine assured.

"Selphie," Squall continued to linger on the wrongs of a relationship between them.

"She knows, she understands."

"If…." With a blush, the Commander broke the gaze and lowered his eyes.

"What?" the gunman questioned, raising the refined, narrow chin with a nudge from his fingers.

Blushing near crimson, Squall spoke in an embarrassedly rushed jumble, "If you want it, I'd be with her too."

Coughing in shock, Irvine questioned incredulously, "A threesome?" At the small nod of consent, he nearly forgot himself and attacked the brunet right there. That was the shit wet dreams were made of.

"You can kiss me," Squall whispered softly, raising his head further in an almost expectant and nervous action.

"Thank Hyne," Irvine proclaimed before grabbing onto the shorter man's slim waist and pulling him closer. Leaning down he kissed those soft lips for the second time.

Not unexpected and rather welcomed, Irvine was not pushed away or given another black eye. Instead, he was invited to deepen it, his tongue drawn in to take a better taste of the brunet's mouth.

Excited and impatient, Irvine pulled the man along by the belt loop, never breaking the kiss. Making quick work of tearing the thin shirt off the brunet, he distantly acknowledged the thud of boots as the Commander kicked the obstructive footwear away. The pants followed just as fast.

Bumping into the wooden table, Irvine lost himself in the feel of pale flesh under his hands. Did all men feel so soft? The only thing the Commander lacked was a pert set of breasts, which he was more than willing to forget all about upon squeezing the brunet's shapely ass.

"Nnh," Squall moaned in reaction to the groping. Arching into the touch, he broke the kiss with a wet trail of saliva between them. "Take me here," he urged.

Pulling away, Squall moved to lean over the tabletop. Bending down and prostrating himself, the brunet glanced back, "Please, take me now."

"Anything you say darlin'"

* * *

With a painful thud, Irvine looked about himself in a startled manner. The room was brighter, the lights on.

Groaning, the auburn haired man stood up and nearly began shouting aloud in reprimand for his damn runaway mind. He wasn't sure what was worse, the fact that it was a dream or the fact that he hadn't gotten to finish it.

If he'd fallen asleep in an armchair or his own bed, then perhaps he would have had a beautiful reel to rerun that involved rather vivid images of the Commander writhing upon the very table he'd been cleaning guns at before falling asleep.

Deciding to take a cold shower and then turn in for the night, Irvine left his unfinished task for later. The gun didn't need to be cleaned anyway.

TBC…

A/N Sorry! The place I was staying at didn't have internet, so I couldn't update. I'm sorry for the long wait. Anyways, I hope you liked the new chapter.


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter Six

Harm From Healing

It was quite surprising to wake up alone. Squall hadn't ever considered the ex-knight to be the stealthiest of men, but perhaps his undisturbed sleep could be attributed to their taxing activities of the night before. Still, after ten minutes of lazily dozing waiting for the knight's return, it seemed ever more odd that Seifer would have left the apartment completely.

Wasn't the blond always complaining about how he tried to get out of bed without warning? 'Hypocrite,' Squall's mind accused.

On his side, he was curled in such a manner that he appeared to accommodate a second party. With his arms drawn to his chin, his elbows didn't obstruct the most familiar placement of the knight's arms about his waist.

The sheets were drawn up to his hips, barely covering his more private assets. As gray-blue eyes roved the room, he had to think for a moment before remembering how the night before had concluded. From sex in his room, they'd cleaned up in the bathroom, the blond knight annoyingly babying him in the bath, and then they'd settled in the less romped up bed for the night.

Tentatively, the brunet sat up. Raking fingers through oddly angled hair, he suppressed a yawn. Casting aside the sheets, the blanket long forgotten near the foot of the bed, he shifted to get out of bed. It took him a moment to register that something was wrong. Frowning at the lack of soreness, he tried to stand up. Staring incredulously at the closed door, as though sending his look to Seifer, he stormed from the room and into his own. Now he understood why the blond had chosen to conveniently vacate the premises. He'd kill Seifer.

Dressed in the first set of clothes in his hands managed to grasp, a pair of dark blue jeans and black long sleeve shirt, he was out the door and striding down the hallway. The fact that he could be running without injury was solid proof of the older boy's mischief making. Though, for the life of him, he didn't see how Seifer could have done it without waking him up.

Not much later than eight, he'd kill cocky knight and then go to his office.

* * *

"How many damn reporters do you guys let in here?" Seifer questioned in obvious impatience. With a flap, he shut the manila folder that held yet another profile of a pencil pushing, muckraking reporter.

To the right were several stacks of similar folders and to the left were even more, taking up a good half of the long table. Having gone through the ones on the right, he was quite sick of reading up on every damn reporter expected to be present at the next press conference.

Chuckling at the knight's lack of patience, Raijin reached across the conference room table to retrieve the folder Seifer had just thrown to the center. "The Commander's got a lot more to deal with than Commanders Trent and Zephlar."

"I don't see why they give him so much grief," Seifer mumbled. He was older than Squall and the moody kitten acted twice his age half the time. Wasn't it rather ageist to watch the brunet like a hawk? As an after thought, he questioned, "Why is there a press conference in the first place? This place is for mercenaries, not countrymen."

"Like I said, it's different for Commander Leonhart, ya know?"

"Yeah, I know. These shit Commanders think that princess has to give a formal statement every time he sneezes."

Hunching his bulky frame, the dark haired fighter regarded his friend solemnly. "He's a good leader Seifer," Raijin assured.

"Workaholic is more like it," Seifer spat loathingly. Reaching to his left, he grabbed another file. "That one," he pointed to the folder in Raijin's hands, "Is fine."

"Yes sir," Raijin said while placing the file to the right of the knight.

Jade eyes scanned the first page, containing the most basic history and photo ID. After flipping to the next page, upturning the page to tuck behind the folder, Seifer's eyes narrowed. "This guy is out."

Shaking his head, Raijin took the file from the blond and put it in a select pile for the people Seifer deemed unacceptable to see the Commander. "That's the seventh reporter you've slain like that man. What gives, ya know?"

"Just doin' my job," Seifer explained. In truth, the reporter in that folder worked for Hark Here Press in Dollet. After checking out the stuff Tilmitt had dredged up on Epson, he'd pretty much memorized every name and namesake tied with the bastard. Most newspapers in Dollet had printed nothing but complimenting lies involving Epson Larkner, which was either due to fear or association. He wasn't going to ban every reporter from Dollet, just the ones who'd written several articles supporting Epson's company.

With a smirk, Seifer wondered what sort of crap stories they were writing now? _Psychotic stalker's mutilated corpse found. Dollet freed from one yakuza leader's oppression_… for two seconds before the second in command took over. He could care less what went down in Dollet. It could become the city of sin and he'd simply flip to another TV channel to watch anything else but the news reporting on the devastation and crime. However, if it affected his charge in anyway, he'd take more than an avid interest.

Raijin gave a gruff grumble in agreement, sounding more like he was questioning the blond's judgment but not saying anything.

"I'll never have time for all these. If I don't get back by eight, his royal highness is gonna have a hissy fit."

Raijin's dark eyes sparkled with mirth. It almost sounded like Seifer was afraid of making Squall unhappy. So long as he didn't have to listen to them getting it on in locker rooms or offices, he was perfectly content to sit on the sidelines and watch the amusing relationship unfold.

Smiling like a Cheshire cat, the burly man reclined back into the comfortable seat, falling short of placing his feet atop the expensive black table.

Seifer eyed his friend keenly. It wasn't often that the brown skinned man looked so smug. The friendly dolt was too insecure to wave anything over anyone's head. "Why're you smiling'?" the ex-knight asked cautiously.

"Cause it's almost nine o'clock, ya know?" Dark eyes held mirth as color drained from his friend's face.

"Shit!" Seifer cursed. By now, Squall would have been awake for some time, no doubt realizing the quick procedure he'd done. Hyne, he'd never hear the end of this one.

"Want me to drop these off at your place, like while your kissin' the Commander's feet, ya know?"

"Shove it Rai, you could of told me how long we'd been here," the blond spoke with misdirected anger.

"Uh-huh," Raijin intoned, none of his amusement lost. "Not my job, ya know? So what about all this?" He gestured to the mass of folders on the table before them.

Standing abruptly, pushing his chair back, Seifer scrambled to decide the best course of action. "No, don't send these there, Squall doesn't need any more reasons to get angry with me today."

Curiously, Raijin eyed Seifer. Granted, it was entirely natural for couples to try and please each other and for anyone within a mile radius to fear the Commander's wrath, but their main man Seifer had never been like that. In fact, if he recalled the passed five years he'd known Seifer correctly, then the arrogant guy went out of his way to make Leonhart angry. "He knows you're, like, looking out for him, right?"

"Trust me, he'd hold a grudge on this one."

Brows furrowed, the dark haired instructor gave his close friend a perplexed look. "I thought you lived to piss him off, ya know?"

Scoffing, Seifer waved the comment aside. "I still do, there's little else more gratifying than an angry Leonhart. But, I'm also living to fuck his pretty ass, so there's a certain balance I gotta learn to maintain."

"I didn't need to hear that, ya know?" Raijin looked sardonically at the knight, wishing he'd managed to completely block out the sounds of his Commander moaning while being screwed.

"Don't worry, I'll send everyone a few videos to keep you occupied during the holidays."

"Get going," Raijin urged, preferring a Seifer being chewed out by Squall than a Seifer making sexual comments. "I'll keep these in my office, so stop by there next time, ya know?"

"Sure," the blond agreed walking to the door of the conference room. "Give Fu my condolences."

"What?" Raijin remarked a little loudly, an underlying concern for the silver-haired woman evident.

"For getting involved with you," Seifer explained with a smirk.

Blushing furiously, Raijin averted his eyes to the glossy table. "You know 'bout us?"

Seifer barked with laughter, hand on the doorknob. "I do now," he chuckled, "You sounded like you'd just woken up on the phone. You've always been the morning person among us. 'Sides, who else would you be keeping your voice down for?"

"Hey man, it's like just one of those things… like, ya know?" Raijin muttered with rushed words to soothe any faults.

Rolling his green eyes, Seifer reassured his brute of a friend that while he'd be teasing the guy mercilessly about it for the rest of his life, he wasn't upset about it. "Rai, if you didn't take her I was going to." He winked while opening the door.

Laughing a bit forced at this, the brown skinned man corrected, "More like she took me."

Seifer tensed at this, moments later he was nearly on the floor laughing. While he knew he needed to make haste, the idea of Fujin being dominant in such regards was hilarious. Raijin almost sounded like a violated little girl, but it probably just hurt pride at not having any leading roll in the relationship.

"Having fun?" a cold voice questioned from behind the fitfully laughing knight.

Amused laughter quickly turned into surprised coughs. Straightening up, the ex-knight cringed. Slowly he turned around to face his seething princess. With the most charming smile he could give, he beamed down at the pale brunet. It probably wasn't helping that seeing the angry fire in steely gray eyes was totally turning him on.

Rumpled bed hair, slightly flushed cheeks after roaming Garden and building anger, brightly emotional eyes, and pale skin with a healthy glow that was contrasted by flattering dark clothes.

"Training Center," Squall hissed out before turning on foot and stalking away.

With an impressed whistle, Raijin congratulated Seifer on angering the Commander so much. Just seeing those gray eyes gave him a shiver. He'd never be able to stand up to the Balamb Lion like the ex-knight always did.

Part of Raijin was curious what Seifer had done this time, though a small voice in the back of his head was yelling not to ask. Still, he was usually privy to Seifer latest schemes to piss off Leonhart, so he figured this was no different. "What'd you do?" he questioned incredulously, implying that it must have been something big for such a reaction.

The tanned knight scratched the back of his golden blond hair. "You know me. I'm innocent."

"Yeah, I know you, and you've done something. It's always the same, ya know?" Raijin shot back jovially.

"I gave him a potion. S'all, I swear," Seifer defended with an innocent boyish grin.

Raijin grinned right back at the ex-knight. Reaching down he picked a box off the floor and set it on the table to place the stacks of folders in. "Better get goin' ya know? I should be the one giving condolences here," he snickered before adding, "You're so whipped, ya know?"

Affronted, Seifer scoffed and glared at the quarterstaff user. "And I'm sure you won't be buying Fujin a bouquet of flowers before you go to her tonight." That said, Seifer left the dark haired man to transport the many files to another room. Meanwhile, the he was not looking forward to meeting up with Squall in the Training Center, which was a first.

* * *

Side stepping a dangerous slash in barely the nick of time, Seifer growled out, "It was just a damn potion. You couldn't even walk!"

"It's my call!" Squall spat vehemently.

"Not when I did it to you," the knight countered, also countering with a slash of Hyperion.

"I'm SeeD, we don't use potions for anything but battle," Squall affirmed not for the first time during their roe.

"And I'm not, so I can use it to heal any well fucked asses that I want!" the knight shouted, a bit too loudly for discrepancy's sake.

"Not mine!" Squall replied, jumping back to avoid Seifer's blade.

Seifer Grinned cockily, loving the fight, but getting a little fed up with the stubborn boy's relentless nature. "Baby, your ass is mine," he said, but immediately regretted the comment.

Gritting his teeth, Squall glared icily. With the highest compatibility possible, Shiva's summoning time was instantaneous.

When Seifer breathed out and saw his own breath, all he could think to do was curse and hold Hyperion up in defense. The air was stolen from his lungs as wave after wave of deathly cold air blasted his way. There was a feeling of déjà vu, just like that day in Dollet when the Commander had summoned the Ice Queen to freeze the waters.

Panting down on one knee, Seifer cough a bit and struggled to recover from the attack. He was shivering madly, needing to take a warm shower or crawl under a bundle of blankets. Raising his head, he found Squall was gone.

"Dammit!" the knight cursed. Couldn't they go a single day without having a fight? What was the big deal? After last night, there was no way Squall would have been able to go about a normal day of work. So, he'd kindly administered a potion, nothing fancy.

Actually, it had been quite nice, rubbing it on both the source and giving an encouraging kiss that the brunet was half asleep for. He'd do it again, unless that meant facing the ice prince's wrath each time. Hyne, but the Commander seemed to be an uptight prick at times. And damn his masochistic self for only finding this quality all the more endearing for its perseverance like aspects.

Having opted to warm up in the shower, Seifer trudged in a defeated manner to the locker rooms. He was surprised, to say the least, to find Squall quietly sitting on one of the benched between the tall rows of lockers.

Giving the brunet a cursory glance, not sure where they stood at the moment, he was trapped by guarded gray-blue eyes. Unable to tell what Squall was thinking, which was something that didn't happen nearly as much since his return, he testily strode closer. It was one thing for Squall to remain pissed at him, but the pretty boy was not about to shut him out. Roughly reaching down, he grabbed hold of the pale man's black shirt, stretching the material that clung quite nicely to the lithe frame. With no reaction, the smaller man allowed himself to be yanked into a standing position.

"I can warm up much faster with a little help," the ex-knight suggested lightly, testing his angry lover's mood.

Not betraying any emotion, Squall leaned up with his impassive features and chastely pressed his lips to Seifer's. "You're showering alone," he whispered while reaching to unclasped the knight's hands from his shirt.

Having gone right to the fighting and not exceeding ten minutes, neither needed to shower for the sake of washing away sweat and easing sore muscles, but Squall knew why the blond had come in here. The man's lips were almost blue, but he didn't feel the least bit guilty.

Not looking too pleased, Seifer stalked away while gruffly shedding his shirt.

Sighing, Squall realized that while he didn't regret summoning Shiva, he hated making Seifer have that angry and dejected look in his eyes. Even if the arrogant, assuming, and overly assertive man deserved it, he didn't enjoy it. Stupid knight, always doing things without telling him.

It was only made worse by the fact that now he was simply waiting for the blond to finish raising his body temperature, because after their argument last night, he felt strongly compelled to not go anywhere without Seifer. It was sad, terribly sad, but there was nothing he could do about it.

So, while he waited, with a flush to his cheeks every time he thought about what he could be doing, he mulled recent events over. Eventually, he became tired of feeling more and more guilty for something that he was right about, so he thought about the day's agenda.

After running into his father, he was now obligated to dinner with Laguna. But, somehow it wasn't as heavy an obligation as it used to be.

Sighing, Squall crossed his arms and continued to brood. There was an approaching press conference that he didn't even want to think about, let alone participate in. All the festival cheer was starting to get to him, the happy air permeating through the halls, the smiling students. He had no problem with letting them have their fun, but when he was expected to reflect such an attitude, he wanted to ban all staff and students from coming anywhere near him or his office.

TBC…

A/N Sorry, kind of short, but I wanted to cut it off before I went into the next debacle. Anyway, thank you guys for all the reviews. I smile a lot when I get feed back! I'm also wont to giggling like a school girl.


	7. Chapter 7

Chapter Seven

How Rumors Start

Seifer watched for a few seconds before reaching his limit. The still troubled Commander was brooding in solitude again, despite not actually being alone. Head bowed so that choppy bangs masked the already guarded face of the brunet, Squall tucked his darkly clad form into itself.

Unable to take being ignored, he reached out and quickly pressed the emergency stop button on the elevator's panel.

From a distant position reclining into the corner of the elevator, Squall raised his head. Looking with mild surprise at the knight, he quickly schooled his features and regarded the tall man impassively.

With rising anger, Seifer balled his fists and forced himself not to lash out. Squall ignored other people, but not him. Squall kept himself guarded around everyone, except him. He would not accept this behavior, not with what they were now.

"It was a _potion_, just one," Seifer said, standing straight with his arms crossed in a confronting manner.

Narrowing his gray-blue eyes, Squall looked up and mimicked the knight's stance. The fact that he was significantly shorter didn't seem to minimize the effect. "We don't use items like that," he spoke softly, his voice dropping a note to impress the importance of understanding.

Scoffing, Seifer pointed out, "Those are crap rules that only SeeD follow. You think they're selling this stuff in towns so civilians can mend battle wounds?"

"We're not civilians," Squall pointed out.

"We are when we're in the bedroom," Seifer shot back.

Frowning, Squall continued to glare, not humoring the blond with a response.

"I don't get it Leonhart, you've never been such a stickler for rules. What are you afraid of, that the other Commanders are gonna find out you like it rough and need a minor healing now and then?"

"…"

Glaring right back at the pretty boy Commander, Seifer spoke again, "Trust me sweet cheeks, they're not going to give a flying fuck about that minor detail once they hear you like it up the ass."

"Stop being so vulgar about it, you ass," Squall hissed defensively. He'd never really had any bias about choice in sex, but when Seifer phrased it like that he couldn't help but feel like it was a bad thing.

Lips drawn thinner in a frown, Seifer ran a frustrated hand through his hair, dislodging several well kempt pieces to fall across his forehead. "Well, unless you get over this issue with the strict usage of every damn potion, then I'm not willing to have nights like last night. It may be your body, but I'm the one doin' it to you."

Squall had been growing more furious every moment. Seifer was completely missing his reasons for being so angry, and try as he might, he couldn't simply let it be and give the man time to figure it out. "You're right, it's _my body_!" he half shouted, "When you want to do something to it, you'd better ask me first, cocky bastard!"

Reaching around the knight, Squall pulled the stop button out and resumed his reclusive stance against the wall. Face averted to the small floor, he refused to acknowledge Seifer's presence for the time being.

Before Seifer could retort, the arriving ding sounded and the doors opened.

The secretary looked up from behind thick-framed glasses with surprise at seeing the Commander.

Squall wondered if Quistis had perhaps come in, in place of himself. "Is the Head Instructor in?"

"No sir," the black haired woman responded.

"Hold all calls," Squall requested, knowing he'd have mountains of paper work without having to deal with anything else.

"Yes sir," the older woman agreed readily.

"Joy," Seifer intoned depressingly as he trailed not a foot behind the Commander, "Another day of fun."

Seifer was pleased to see a knowing smile grace the secretary's lips. Alice Mayer was her name, if he recalled correctly. Before they reached the ornate double doors, he remembered something. Dropping back, he backtracked towards the dark haired woman.

Alice Mayer, the Headmaster's secretary since the war's end, gazed expectantly up at Ultimecia's ex-knight. She understood his position at Balamb Garden, so in all professionalism she couldn't outwardly express dislike for what the man was. Besides, after watching the miraculous changes in the Headmaster, she was actually a bit grateful.

"Mind placing an order for breakfast?" Seifer questioned, casting an unarming smile down at the seated woman.

Fighting the instinctive blush that came with being the focus of that charming smile, Alice replied as evenly as she could, "Not at all. For two?"

"No, just princ-" he coughed in correction, "just the anorexic one."

Stifling her laughter, lest the Headmaster hear her, she simply smiled silently and gave a curt nod. She'd never heard anyone refer to the Balamb Lion by so many different nick names, none of which she would dare repeat even a continent far away for fear of Mr. Leonhart finding out.

"Yes sir," she agreed.

For brief moment Seifer was going to carry through with the urge to direct her to refer to him as sir, but he figured it really didn't matter. "Thanks," he said in parting.

In his office, Squall was already absorbed in the first twenty paged, single-spaced, small font report. Was it really necessary to write in such detail about a scouting mission? It hadn't even been a successful one, the tip off turning out to be bogus.

Why did he need to read all these anyway? Being both Commander and Headmaster meant that he sent SeeDs on all the missions in the first place, and then read tedious reports that were sent to inform the Headmaster on the results. If he sent them to begin with, why did he need to read the details if he already knew it all? Aside from redundant, it was mind numbingly boring.

Seifer glanced around the room, not at all happy to see the workaholic sitting behind the desk miles away.

Sulking in a most decidedly childish manner, the blond knight huffed indignantly and flopped down on the plush leather couch that sat against the wall adjacent to the large window behind Squall. While the cushions were quite soft, he found it difficult to picture Squall sitting there a lot. It was after a moment that he recalled how the brunet had hardly left the office, which meant a few hours here and there spent sleeping on this very couch.

Scoffing at his thoughts, Seifer sent an unnoticed glare to the rosy lipped, pretty boy behind the mahogany desk. As if making an action of ignoring Seifer, Squall flipped to the next page.

Didn't it take time to become absorbed in material? How could someone just waltz in and start working right away? What ever happened to casually skimming while sipping a morning cup of coffee?

Refusing to participate in anything that involved a thick, stapled stack of papers with a secretive title of numbers, he reclined into the couch. Maybe after he'd had sufficient time to cool his head he'd help out, but he doubted that would come when he'd have to force feed his anorexic charge in a matter of minutes.

He pushed the sleeves of his forest green sweater up for no good reason and crossed his legs impatiently. Smoothing out the creases in his black slacks, he continued to think about anything that might distract him for a few moments.

It wasn't that he'd expected to stop fighting all the time, that was part of the appeal. Opposites attract, or so the saying went. If he and Squall suddenly got along, it wouldn't be nearly as much fun. Still, he didn't like holding grudges or any long term shit like that. Usually they had it out in the Training Center and moved on.

What was with Squall anyway? Yes, he'd known that using the potion would have been against the Commander's wishes, but what was he supposed to have done? The poor kitten would have barely been able to walk, which was something a couple of pain pills wouldn't mend.

Maybe he should go to Deling City and check out a few sex books, just to make sure he was doing it right or to read up on where the limits should be set.

With a sigh, he crossed his arms and sunk deeper into the cushions. Chin tucked in, he stared at the guarded brunet. Squall had made a fuss over not being asked first, which begged the question, "If I'd asked first, would you have agreed?"

Hesitant at first, Squall stopped reading and mulled the ex-knight's words over seriously. Truthfully, he would have protested the idea stubbornly. But, Seifer had never let his protests stand in the way. "No," he replied honestly, "But you wouldn't have let that stop you."

"No, I would have done it anyway." Seifer nodded in agreement. When gray-blue eyes seemed to linger on his, waiting for him to say something further, or perhaps just realize something, he paused for thought. It was like putting the puzzle together, everything was always a puzzle with Squall. Frowning, Seifer gave Squall a look of uncertainty, wondering if he really was supposed to be looking more deeply into this or if the younger man was just stringing him along.

Rubbing his temple, Squall sighed. If he had to align the pieces for Seifer then he would. And the knight had the gall to call him oblivious. "If I wanted to use Hyperion, would I just take it and go off to fight in the Center?"

Scoffing, Seifer refuted as though coming upon the right answer, "No, you'd never use my blade when you're so in love with that neon beauty of yours."

Squall bit his lip and forced himself to keep a straight face. Allowing himself the therapeutic mannerism of pinching the bridge of his nose, the pale Commander sighed. "Hypothetically speaking, if I were to not have Lionheart at my disposal and wanted a good blade. Would I take yours and make off with it?"

"I'd kick your ass for that," Seifer assured reasonably.

"Why?" Squall prompted, hoping this game of feeding the knight's clues ended before he lost all respect for the man.

"Hyperion's mine, get your own," the blond chastised as though actually experiencing the hypothetical situation.

"I don't touch what's yours without permission. So, you can imagine that waking up after you've fled the scene only to realize you unknowingly gave me a potion pisses me off," he growled out.

Leaning forward Seifer raised his hands as if to wrangle that thin neck, which at any other time he'd prefer to be kissing. "You needed the damn potion!" he shouted. He was growing tired of repeating himself.

"I never said I didn't!" Squall shot back with equaled annoyance at their circular arguing. "Dammit Almasy! You have to ask me first!"

Standing up, Seifer strode closer. Rounding the desk, he roughly pushed the swiveling chair around and hovered over the relaxed form. "This is about asking first?" he questioned.

Rolling his eyes, Squall just shot a look up at the blond that implied it was elementary.

A lopsided grin betrayed Seifer's angry state. Though he still tried to be intimidating, as he overbearingly placed his hands on the armrests and leaned dangerously close. "This isn't about the potion?"

"…"

"Why didn't you say so?"

Sardonically regarding jade eyes, Squall quipped, "It was a test of competence."

"Competence?" Seifer intoned incredulously. "I showered alone because of incompetence?"

Suppressing a chuckle at the knight's insulted tone, Squall remembered that he was still royally pissed. "Do it again and I'll make sure I never become injured in such a manner again," he warned, adding emphasis with a hand cupping Seifer's groin.

"Vixen," Seifer accused. He tensed visibly when Squall squeezed his package slightly. Not wanting to see just how serious the Commander might become, he admitted defeat, "Permission first, I got it."

With an approving nod, quite content that he'd technically won the argument, Squall gave a gentle grope to the knight's genitals before removing his hand.

Seifer started a bit at the fondling, knowing the Commander hadn't meant to start anything, but that message didn't quite relay far enough south to head off the blood flow.

Swiveling the chair to face the window, and away from any surprise visitors, Seifer bent closer and kissed the Commander.

"Seifer," Squall hissed while jerking his head back. The office doors weren't even locked, not to mention there was somebody sitting right outside.

"What?" the blond questioned innocently, just like a little boy covered in mud while dressed in his Sunday best.

Pouting at the knight's lack of consideration, Squall turned his head to the side and reminded, "No exhibition."

Sighing exasperatedly, the green-eyed knight caringly clasped the brunet's chin and turned that pretty face his way. "I don't make a habit of putting on shows when I'm kissing the man I love."

Blushing mildly, Squall felt himself lost in the heavily meaningful tone and begging jade eyes. "If someone walks in-"

"Then the rumor mill catches wind and we'll be on our way to the next baby step we've been talking about."

"Seifer, this is the Headmaster's office," Squall reminded.

"Yeah, I've always wanted to do it in here." With a grin, he assured, "But I won't do much more than kiss you."

Squall seemed to carry on an intense internal debate. He'd been here for little over ten minutes and he already felt like gouging his eyes out with the letter opener rather than reading another report. A few kisses and gropes might serve as a pleasant distraction, a five-minute break or something like that.

Raising his head, Squall leaned forward slightly, still seated in his high backed chair, which hid him from view of the doorway.

Seifer figured there was nothing like settling an argument with a kiss, though he could think of a few other things he'd also like to seal the deal with. It was understandable where Squall was coming from on the potion thing, but he'd never admit to that. Instead, he'd simply let the threat of castration sway him in favor of the brunet. Besides, when he seriously managed to anger the kitten like that, the rampant fire in steely gray eyes did wonders for boiling his blood and completely turning him on.

Braced by the armrests once again, Seifer bent close and captured those plush red lips. They were warm and pliant against his own as he nibbled slightly on the bottom one. There still seemed hesitancy about Squall, when he tried to deepen it. That only meant he wasn't doing a good enough job of warming the ice prince up.

For his height it was a minor strain to lean down so much, but his mind was hardly occupied by such a tedious matter. Raising his knee, he rubbed at Squall's lap in a hinting manner until the brunet spread for him.

Keenly aware of Squall's dislike for even a simple touch while in public, Seifer figured that he had a little more time before that order for breakfast arrived, and then he'd have to back off before he caused yet another fight.

The response he wanted was given more than willingly as he rubbed encouragingly with his knee. Moaning, the brunet opened up for him, disregarding the depth of the kiss.

Try as he might, Squall could not keep his senses about himself. He thought he'd started to develop some sort of stamina for it, no longer the touch starved virgin. But as soon as Seifer snaked a tongue into his mouth, reason slipped from his grasp. It was wet and hot, slick and sweet. Tilting his head to the side a bit he angled himself to allow Seifer as much access as needed.

It took Seifer less than a second to take advantage of the better angle. He wanted to reach his hands up and cup smooth cheeks, but refrained. He wanted to see if the chair reclined far enough in a horizontal manner that he could climb atop the sweet tasting Commander, but he refrained. The one thing he could do without restraint was to twine their tongues together and mesh their lips together with bruising fervor.

There was a startling clank of dinnerware that brought the beautifully passionate moment to a screeching halt. Even Seifer felt a pang of fear at being caught, but that was a mixture of Squall's projected feelings and the fact that he'd probably be taking the rap for this one.

Scrunching his eyes together as he sadly broke away from Squall, Seifer stood up. His eyes found a young cadet who looked frozen in her place. Carrying a round black tray with a covered plate and cup of coffee on it, the bleach blond young lady stared with wide brown eyes.

"Um-" she stuttered for the right words, trying to remember why she was there.

"Breakfast," Seifer supplied kindly, wondering if there were any chance that she'd believe a well-told lie.

Squall sat rigid in his seat, too mortified to even think of turning his chair to face the intruder. He was currently calculating how long until this rumor spread through out the entire Garden. Why in Hyne's name hadn't his secretary used the intercom to inform him ahead of time?

Seifer was having similar thoughts as Squall, wondering if just anyone was allowed to waltz in here. He was given an answer when the silently bouncing form of the messenger girl filled the partially opened door. She was jumping quite animatedly up and down, but kept her footfalls silent and gestured with an index finger to her lips for silence.

Jade eyes tore from the form of a mischief-making ball of energy and returned to the nerve rattled cadet. Beaming brightly, Seifer played the part Tilmitt was obviously setting him up for. Pointedly swiping a thumb across his just kissed lips, Seifer grinned sheepishly like a schoolboy caught red handed. "The Commander had something in his eye," he lied with a perfectly played sense of a blundered cover up.

Swallowing thickly, the young woman glanced behind to see the empty doorway and then turned back. So much for it being perfectly fine to stride right in. Certainly, helping Commander Leonhart remove a fleck of dust or lash from his dreamy gray-blue eyes required hands, which she'd seen placed on the armrests. And it most definitely did _not_ require such close proximity. Ultimecia's knight looked like he was in the middle of climbing on top of the Balamb Lion, not to mention he had wet lips that betrayed everything.

With shaking hands, the plate and mug were set down on the desk near the furthest corner that was free of papers.

The blond cadet held the serving tray and removed lid against her chest in a death grip, no longer able to figure out the next step now that her mission was accomplished.

Out of the corner of his eye, Seifer caught an urging hand from Tilmitt wave him on through the door, but it was retracted as quickly as he'd caught sight of it. Inwardly rolling his eyes at the fact that he was humoring the copper haired pilot over his sex minx, Seifer reached down and ruffled the Commander's hair. Even if the girl couldn't see, it was a pretty obvious gesture. "All better," he cooed in a sickeningly gentle voice.

Squall was at a loss for why the ex-knight was acting so weird. When the hand ruffling his hair gave a little tug of encouragement he faltered a moment to remember what Seifer had even said. Once he did, he felt a wave of flustered relief wash over him as he realized this was a set up. The lack of informing call from the secretary, the female cadet, Seifer's tell tale playboy acting, it all fit together.

At the second tug on his hair, Squall snapped to and replied, "Thank you."

"Anytime," Seifer spoke, his voice riddled with innuendo.

Seemingly in a world of their own, having completely forgotten about the errand running cadet, Seifer let his gaze linger with obvious lust at the hidden Commander.

"Hey Squall!" Selphie called while bouncing in. "Come on Stacey, we have other deliveries."

With a jerking start, the young woman practically ran to the copper haired woman for safety.

Seifer felt like asking how Tilmitt even managed to sooth over the fact that she was aiding in the delivering service, but he felt that it'd probably be best not to.

When the door closed shut, Squall shot up out of his seat as though the secretary had announced a sorceress at the front gates.

"Selphie was there?" the brunet questioned with worry as he paced back and forth.

"Hey," Seifer said reassuringly, "She planned it, don't worry. It's just another step of hers, it's fine."

"She saw us-"

Seifer cut him off. "She looked like one of those fangirls Tilmitt had in her group. Trust her on this one, she didn't let you down with the fight."

"Why does everything have to be staged?" Squall questioned for lack of having his thoughts in the correct order.

Seifer took hold of Squall's shoulders, stopping the pacing. Leaning down he initiating another kiss, but kept it light. Pulling back, he framed the shorter man's delicate face with his hands. "It's either this, or we go with my idea and make some sex tapes and distributing them to the general population."

Scowling, Squall glared at the knight. Seifer never seemed to take anything seriously.

"Not everything's staged though," Seifer continued with an after thought. "This," he captured plush lips again. Lowering his hands he trailed from narrow shoulders to a lithe torso, slowing at slim hips before reaching around and groping the Commander's denim clad ass. "What we do alone is not staged."

"Nnh," Squall agreed with without breaking the kiss.

Seifer was ready to dance around in victory that he hadn't gotten in trouble at all for the incident just then. Reluctantly ending their kiss, he gave a final pat to Squall's firm cheeks and stated, "Now, you eat."

Bright blue eyes stared up into jade ones for a prolonged moment. At length, Squall licked his slick lips and informed the knight, "I'm not hungry."

"You've got dinner with daddy and a date to break our record from last night, you'll need your stamina. Eat up princess."

Casting a sidelong glance to a plate of toast and eggs, Squall's interest landed on the cup of coffee. He'd start with coffee, and if he felt hungry then he'd eat. Seifer did have a point, it was going to be a long day.

TBC….

A/N Okay, so we've got a juicy rumor on the loose now, things will start rolling. I hadn't really meant to make such a big deal out of the potion thing, but I figured that if I did and had it resolved, then I could have them going at it without physical consequence each time. Oh, and as for Selphie's seemingly all knowing presence, I'll explain later. It's simple really, she was just chilling with Greta when the order came. Well, I hope you liked it! (and don't worry, there is much more Irvine in this fic, and he will have happier times.)


	8. Chapter 8

Chapter Eight

Cold Pizza

"You're full of it. The Commander would never be caught dead doing something like that," spoke an assured voice.

"I swear, I saw it!" defended another.

"What exactly did you see?"

"Ultimecia's knight was bent over the chair that Commander Leonhart was sitting in. He said he was helping the Commander with something in his eye, but he totally looked like he'd just been making out."

"Maybe there really was something in his eye," the first voice suggested.

"His lips were wet," the second defended the speculation she'd turned into fact.

"He could have licked them or just drank something."

"I'm telling you, they were kissing."

The first girl, who was slightly more level headed, refuted, "You have no proof."

Groaning in exasperation, the delivery girl named Tracy pointed out, "You saw the way they were fighting the other day, I mean, it was like they were doing the tango or something. And, remember when the prince was pinned? They kissed!"

"More like Almasy was teasing Commander Leonhart. Instructor Tilmitt said so herself."

"No way, you could totally see it in his eyes. Hyne, his eyes are so green, don't you love them?"

"I thought you were in love with the Commander," the older girl reminded.

"I am," the bleach blond remarked indignantly. "I'm just saying that Seifer Almasy is pretty hot too."

The first girl mumbled a bit, "I won't argue with you there."

"What if they're having a love affair? Maybe that's why Rinoa Heartilly isn't around anymore…. You know, I hear that before the war they had some special relationship going on."

"They hated each other before the war. You weren't here yet. Trust me, they were always fighting."

"You know what they say," the younger one sang, "There's a fine line between love and hate." Giving off an excited squeal, the cadet named Tracy

remained undeterred by the presence of her more reasonable friend. "I bet they're involved. How hot would that be?"

"Hot?" the older girl questioned incredulously. "They're two guys. Neither of which I can even imagine having a social life. I mean, the Ice Prince isn't exactly the first person you think about doing those sorts of things."

"That's what's so great about it. I bet he's like a whole different person in the bedroom." The blonde emphasized her point by wriggling her eyebrows.

"Hyne, stop that. He's our Commander."

"Yeah, our really, really, really, sexy Commander."

With a sigh the first girl refrained from refuting the truth. "I still don't think you can just jump to conclusions like that when you didn't actually see what they were doing. Maybe it was like a shard of glass or something painful. That could be why he was concerned and so close to the Commander. I mean, that shit hurts, and it makes you really wanna get it out."

"Don't be stupid, there was nothing in his eye."

"You don't know that."

"I'm telling you, they were totally kissing. I bet if I'd walked in five minutes later, they would have been on top of the desk doing a lot more."

It didn't take long for the rumors to start. And it was indeed more than one rumor, since the wild exaggerations made one entirely different from the next. As the game of telephone continued, the scenario changed drastically. The cadets of Balamb Garden were positively buzzing with excitement over the mere hinting of their Ice Prince involved in a love affair

Some rumors were about Ultimecia's knight pinning the Commander down on the couch and kissing. Others were about how they were actually having sex on the desk. For the most part, they stayed within the realm of kissing and groping, the idea of the Commander actually having sex in his office too far fetched to believe. Then again, the fact that the pairing was always Seifer Almasy and Squall Leonhart wasn't exactly believable either.

Being juicy news, believability didn't really factor in. After the fight in the Training Center, a handful of star struck cadets who were proud members of Commander Leonhart's fan club, had been drooling over the ending kiss of the match. To hear these new rumors sent them over the edge as they got together and speculated on the most romantic possible stories to go along with stolen kisses and pent up feelings.

It was positively delicious to think that something was really going on. Rivals in love, hiding their feelings because they were both men and would be shunned by society. Torn apart by a war only to be reunited and confess years of longing for each other.

However, for every giggling supporter with dreamy eyes, there were less than enthused cadets grumbling about such false lies. The Commander would never let someone like Ultimecia's knight touch him.

For the most part, the two groups were divided by a predominantly sex oriented line. The boys were either jealous that someone else might have laid claim to the Balamb Lion or they were angry because of the respect they had for the Commander. The girls were either dreamy eyed in support or angry because of the respect they had for the Commander. In general, the only supporters were the female cadets who had absolutely no contingencies with gay relationships and felt that seeing the pretty boy leader with another man was better than with another woman.

* * *

"I'm so hungry," Seifer whined.

"So eat something," Squall absently supplied in answer.

The blond knight frowned, only his lips visible while an arm was draped over the rest of his face. Lying down on the comfortable couch in the Headmaster's office, Seifer peeked from the crook of his elbow. Upon seeing a disinterested Squall, he groaned in exaggerated complaint.

Signing the appropriate line for his name, Squall officially approved the contract requesting SeeDs as scouts to once again scour the desert prison. It had been sometime since he'd seen any request that wasn't for recovery purposes, most cities in need of any help. But, there seemed to be suspicious activity going on around D-District detention center. General Caraway was once again hiring Balamb's finest over the closer hands of Galbadia.

The prospect of trouble was almost welcome in the peaceful after math of the sorceress war. Not that Squall was against peace, but it was terrible for paying the bills of a mercenary facility. If the scouts found something, then Caraway would no doubt also make a contract for them to take care of it.

Squall's only contingency on the matter was that Galbadia Garden's Commander might make a ruckus over not being chosen. And considering the news that on the brink of breaking world wide, Squall did not need any more fuel adding to the fires that were going to be blazing.

Still, money was money, and he needed to make sure his mercenaries saw more combat than in the Training Center. He had no use for sluggish and inexperienced SeeD.

Distantly, he registered that Seifer was impatient and growing annoyed with his continued working. "Just a little longer," he soothed with little assurance.

Growling, Seifer pointed out, "You said that three hours ago!"

"Hmm," Squall intoned, already lost in another report. Frowning, he cross-referenced some information with the files on his laptop, quite successfully ignoring the knight.

"Squall," Seifer whined, having resorted to the most pathetic of antics after trying everything but physically lifting the Commander and making off to the cafeteria.

"Order something," Squall suggested, peeking from behind the screen of his portable computer and gesturing to the intercom on his desk with a pen. Before he could turn his attention back to Operation 43890, his eyes caught sight of the closed laptop resting on Seifer's chest. Brows furrowed, he refrained from questioning about it. He recalled that Seifer had gone and returned several times throughout the day, never away for more than twenty minutes or so.

Seifer was beyond stir crazy, hating how Squall made it look so easy. The princess had probably mastered staying still in one place for hours on end, forming an art out of it.

"If I order something, it'll ruin my appetite for the dinner that we should have been at fifteen minutes ago." Seifer nearly failed to keep a straight face while saying that. He'd been waiting for Squall to realize that they were expected President Goofball's place, he'd even thrown in a few hints about being hungry.

"Shit," Squall cursed, abruptly standing up. In his scatter-brained moment of instinctively rushing off to Laguna's he nearly rounded his desk without second thought to all his work. Turning back, he gathered the papers with quick hands and stacked them neatly. Quistis would collect them, the majority being finished. With his laptop shut down, he was ready to leave.

Seifer watched with amusement as the Commander tried to make haste. It was cute.

Squall was half way across the room when his conscience spoke up. Turning back once again, he sighed at the added delay. "Call Laguna," Squall requested.

Chuckling, Seifer reached in his pocket and drew his phone out. Having taken all information from the brunet's hardly used cell phone, he had dear old daddy-in-law stored somewhere in his phone's contacts list.

As the ex-knight called his father, Squall packed his computer in to its carrying bag along with several folders and reports.

"Princess, you aren't working on those tonight," Seifer spoke while holding the phone to his ear. "No not you," he corrected into the phone as Laguna picked up a little earlier than expected. "It's your favorite son-in-law," he continued.

Gray-blue eyes narrowed.

Seifer stifled laughter as he dodged a letter opener, which promptly stuck into the wall behind himself. "Naw, your baby's fine, just running late. We'll be there in a few minutes."

"Seifer," Squall warned with ill concealed anger.

Green eyes shot the Commander a look that said it was payback for being made to sit around all day doing nothing but office work. However, Seifer's expression changed to one of confusion. Frowning, he looked at nothing on the floor. "No, his eyes are fine," the blond eventually spoke in answer to the question asked by the longhaired man on the other end.

"What was that about?" Squall asked as Seifer hung the phone up.

"Nothin'," the blond brushed off. "Let's go."

Adjusting the bag's strap to rest across his chest, Squall gave a nod and strode from behind his desk. This time he was ready to leave.

With a nod, Seifer simply set his own laptop on the couch and trusted that the Headmaster's office was not often broken into. Besides, between encrypted files and passwords, he doubted it would matter.

* * *

Pizza was hardly a homemade meal, but since Laguna had gone all the way into the small port town of Balamb to pick it up, the trouble made it special. By the time Squall arrived it was already cold.

"Sorry I'm late," Squall apologized before even stepping all the way into the guest quarters.

"That's fine, we're in the kitchen," Laguna called out to his son, his voice distant.

The room, or rather studio, was reserved for _special_ guests. This included presidents of technologically advanced countries. It was spacious, at least three times the size of Squall's own quarters, and held extra comforts. As a military facility, Balamb Garden was not designed to serve as a ritzy five star hotel such as the ones Dollet was famous for, but it was more than sufficient.

The living room was a dropped flat, a step lower than the rest of the open space. Boxed in by smooth wooden flooring, the square shaped area was covered in a soft but durable carpet of slate gray. A black leather couch ran along two sides of the area, seating eight people with elbowroom to spare. The big screen on the wall was what peeked Seifer's jealousy, as he wondered why the Commander wasn't allotted such a sleek entertainment system, fully equipped with surround sound. Bedrooms were hidden down a corridor that led off from a nearby alcove and the kitchen was enclosed on the other side by a swinging door.

In a homely manner, the off white walls were adorned with black and white stills from decades ago when Balamb Garden was first created. The pictures of half constructed machinery were art in their own right, and stood as history's reminder that Garden meant so much more than 'mercenaries for hire'.

Traditional black and white square tiles patterned the kitchen's floor. As in most dorms, windows were scarce, but within the kitchen there was a set of tall French styled windows that served as doors to a balcony. Nearby was a small booth for eating, which was where two white boxes of pizza were placed.

"Is there a second floor?" Seifer questioned with none too disguised jealousy as his green eyes spotted a stairway in the kitchen.

"There's a small library and office upstairs," Squall explained. It was common sense for foreign officials to have their own workspace. However, he protested such luxuries for his own use, no matter how much easier it might his life.

"I suppose there was some emergency that kept you," Quistis jibed from her place across from President Loire.

"Not really," Squall replied, "Lost track of time." He took a moment to ponder the presence of the blonde instructor.

When crystal blue eyes keenly examined the Commander's youthful face for any hidden meaning, Seifer rolled his eyes and added, "It's fruitless to tear him away from work, you of all people know that." Directing his words more towards the longhaired man than Trepe, he continued, "He's never satisfied, but he made quite the exception tonight and nearly ran out of his office without locking up when he saw the clock."

The blond knight's words brought a rather goofy grin to the President's face. Laguna couldn't help but feel all warm and fuzzy at the thought of his serious son suddenly becoming flustered upon realizing he was late.

Quistis was quite perceptive on the ex-knight's tactics, but could not chide him for it when Laguna seemed secretly pleased. With a sigh, the Head Instructor conceded that being nearly a half hour late was better than not showing up at all. "The pizza's cold, but I like it better that way."

Laguna suddenly seemed awestruck. "Me too!" he cried triumphantly. Hazel green eyes searched for understanding from the youthful crowd. There was a prolonged moment of near silence, only broken by Quistis' stifled laughing. "Kiros and Ward always rag on me for that," he mumbled dejectedly, a mild blush creeping up when he realized he was not around Ward or Kiros at the moment.

With amusement, Quistis assured the man that he wasn't misunderstood. "Selphie gives me hell for it. We do pizza nights on Saturdays almost every week, and I always eat last."

"Right," Seifer interjected, jade eyes darting from blonde instructor to raven haired President. "Why're you here exactly Trepe?" he questioned suspiciously.

Affronted, Quistis regarded the tanned knight with her glasses atop her head and stray wisps hanging from a simple ponytail. "Because I want to be," she answered vaguely.

Squall rolled his eyes at Seifer's need to create confrontation where there was none. "Cold is just as good," he stated before pointedly taking a seat beside his father.

"So what's on the venue?" Quistis questioned seeing that Laguna hadn't exactly planned beyond the time and place to be with his son. Talking with Squall was a chore at times, more often than not really.

The brunet gave his former instructor a confused look. It wasn't usual to talk about work outside of the office. "Caraway wants us at D-District again."

"He always thinks something's going on there," the blonde woman supplied as prompting before helping herself to the first slice. No plates or napkins necessary, she tried to set a comfortable mood.

Arrogant to a fault, Seifer carried on as though he still led the conversation. "I hope you're not babysitting us tonight Trepe. Wouldn't standing out on the balcony with binoculars be less obvious?"

"I'm not here to spy," the bright-eyed woman stated.

Laguna scratched his head before tucking stray strands of his long hair behind his ear. "I

called her about you," he looked at his boy, "and uh…."

"And, I asked if I could come over and keep him company since Kiros left this morning for Esthar," Quistis finished after taking a tentative bite. With a small smile she informed Squall, "This is as good as Ma Dincht's."

Seifer, who had sat down next to his favorite instructor, reached over and forced a slice into the Commander's unmoving hands. "Eat," he whispered in reprimand. Sitting back he responded to Trepe's comment, "Don't let Chicken-wuss hear you say that."

"Stop calling him that," Quistis chided.

"What?" Seifer defended innocently, "I stopped using it around him."

"Only because Squall won't let you," she corrected.

"You got any hot sauce in this joint?" Seifer asked Laguna.

Perking up at the reminder of the tongue burning condiment, the slightly uncomfortable President answered, "It's in the fridge, grab both kinds."

"Any beer?" the tall knight questioned as he stood up.

"Just what's been sent up, I don't usually drink the stuff." It didn't really occur that anyone in the room might have been a little young for drinking, none of them seemed their age. He seemed younger than he was and they seemed older.

Squall frowned after taking a tentative nibble. He didn't drink, never had. It was a weakness in respect to a mission, but some people became alcoholics and still had no stamina for it, so there really was no point in trying for the sake of tolerance.

"While you're up, I'd like a glass of water," Quistis requested, though it sounded more like an order.

"Yes, mistress of the whips and chains, but only because you asked so nicely," Seifer retorted scanning the contents of the refrigerator which would only be a temporarily used one.

Quistis studied the back of Seifer's forest green sweater, more interested in the tense nature of his back than the actual shirt. Leaning in slightly, she spoke to Squall, "You should lighten up with the office work. You know he's going to follow you. It'll kill him if you keep it up more than a few days."

"I have work," Squall defended, not seeing where there was any problem.

"How did you feel when you first became Headmaster?" Quistis shot slyly.

Impassively, Squall tried to regard his all knowing second in command as coolly as possible. She saw through it however and gave him that look that seemed to claim victory of the argument. Rolling his gray-blue eyes, he habitually brushed longish bangs from his face. "It's not like he has to stay in one place, he left a few times."

"Only for ten minutes," Quistis reminded, "And only to get his own work."

Brows drawn together, Squall seemed to grow interested in the sense that the first traces of emotion were detectable in his eyes, whereas before it seemed more of an appeasement to carry on the conversation. "What?" he asked.

Chewing another bite of the room temperature pizza, the blonde instructor began to elaborate, "For the-"

With a noisy chink, Seifer set a glass of water before the loud mouthed blonde. "There you are, straight from a bottle and chilled to perfection. Now kindly change the subject."

"Seifer," Squall spoke in mild warning.

With no mind to manners, Seifer blatantly ignored the brunet and cracked the beer cap off on the side of the table. Raising it, he passed it over to the longhaired man who seemed content to simply listen in. "Later princess," he admonished upon receiving a harsh glare. Just as plush lips parted to speak yet again, Seifer opened his own beer. Raising the bottle as he'd done to pass it, he held it aloft in gesture for cheering.

Resigned to civility, and the fact that there were no letter openers or knives within reach, Squall took hold of the bottle of water Seifer had set down for him.

In an awkward clashing of beer bottles, a glass, and a plastic water container they paid homage to the meal they'd already begun eating. Curious blue-gray eyes never left jade ones, staring intensely and for such a long time that Laguna and Quistis wound up staring back and forth with no clue as to what exchange was being made.

Seifer was stubbornly trying to win the staring contest, so when he spoke he didn't break the gaze. "I hear you're a regular movie star Loire, acting in your own film and everything."

Laguna nearly choked. Wide eyed and with rising heat in his cheeks, he muttered nervously, "It was just a… well, it was more an accident really… or rather like…."

"Rather like a pushy director looking for someone who knew how to fight," Quistis input for the flustered president. "It was one of Ellone's more memorable trips down memory lane," she explained her knowledge on the matter.

"Hyne, she showed you that?" the raven-haired man questioned with mortified devastation.

Laughing, Quistis clutched her stomach to try and keep it under control. Already the poor man looked ready to crawl into a hole. Afraid that he might really feel bad, she assured him that her laughter was for other reasons, "It was cute, really."

If possible, Laguna blushed more, finally drawing Seifer and Squall from their own little world.

"Cute?" Squall questioned. As he recalled it had been sheer featherbrained stupidity. Mentally sighing, he realized that this was one of his father's most charming and endearing qualities. However, at the time of the little dream sequence he harbored no such attachments and still found that incident to be little else other than embarrassing.

"Yeah, cute," Quistis defended her choice in adjective. "Selphie has it at her place on disk."

This seemed to the nail in the coffin as Laguna slumped forward and covered his eyes with a hand. "Burn it," he demanded.

"Are you kidding?" the instructor remarked incredulously, "Do you know how rare dragons are these days? Not counting the Blue Dragon, there are only four known species left, none of which have been recorded on film, except for this one."

Drawn from his mortified stupor, Laguna regarded the studious woman across from himself. "You know we ended up killing that thing."

With a wave of her hand Quistis dismissed it. "I'm not campaigning to breed them, we would have done the same. Did you scan it? I'd love to know the stats on it. We have the Training Center running on simulators now, so it'd be great if I could show the cadets something like that."

For most of the dinner, which slowing dwindled down to a few slices and abundance of crusts, Seifer and Squall cast silent glances at each other. Laguna and Quistis seemed to have jumped from one point to the next, be it monsters and the best places to gain experience, or the preferred method of dealing with anything diplomatic.

Full of awkward moments, it was still quite an improved flow of simply being together. At least, Squall didn't feel so pressured and stressed to be something he wasn't and Laguna didn't seem overly concerned about pushing his son away.

TBC….


	9. Chapter 9

Chapter Nine

Cookies and Kisses

There was a constant hum of the large storage refrigerators and walk in freezer. Squall was less than enthused to be wrangled into baking for the festival. Apparently Selphie had been quite serious about the celebrations starting two weeks ahead of time, special meals acting as the prelude.

Spotlessly clean floors of black porcelain tile, aluminum countertops galore, and high hung racks of pots and pans, stovetops, ovens, etc. There were a few stools here and there, in place for those five-minute breaks or meticulous hand work that called for precision and sitting down.

Squall stood before a large mixer, churning the ingredients together with the aid of the machine due to the large quantity. As it mixed, he found himself feeling the solitude surround him, caress him with its inanimate noises. It was in that silence that his mind managed to sort through everything best.

Soon enough, he found himself conversing with his Guardian Force, disregarding that anyone overhearing would question his sanity, at least those who didn't know about Shiva's level of compatibility.

'You're still upset,' Shiva whispered in the forefront of Squall's mind.

"I'm not," Squall spoke aloud to the empty kitchen. Taking a deep breath, he looked down at himself and realized that a good quarter cup of flour now adorned his red apron. Better the guard than his own clothes at least. Why was it he seemed to become a total klutz the moment a bag of flour or sugar or any other ingredient was placed in his hands?

"I was angry, very angry," he conceded to the Guardian Force.

'I didn't know,' the Ice Queen continued in the repetitive stream of apology.

The last thing he needed was an excuse. "How could you not know?" he questioned wryly. It had been a long time since he'd last spoken with her like this, giving her a reluctant silent treatment. He did not visit her in dreams or summon her often in battle, but enough was enough.

'I do not pry, I know you dislike that above all else. Your love for this man was a great surprise.'

"You're the one who said I was foolish to think myself incapable of loving," he replied.

'But to already love him so deeply was a blessing even I could not foresee.'

Finely sculpted brows drew together. Should he be insulted by that? "You make it sound like Seifer isn't the person you expected me to," there was a pause of hesitant embarrassment, "fall in love with."

'Indeed little one,' the nurturing guardian agreed.

There was soft chuckling before he felt her presence fade to the background. Curious at her departure, he began to summon her forth again but was cut short at the sudden feelings of strong arms wrapping around him.

Starting with surprise, Squall jerked against the hold, futilely so, as the gentle embrace tightened. Just as his hand grasped the hilt of his knife he settled his instincts and retracted his hand from his inner thigh.

"Sneaking up is one way to get yourself killed," Squall hissed.

With a deep chuckle Seifer bent low to nuzzle Squall's smooth and slender neck. He outright laughed when the pale beauty squirmed at the feel of his unshaven chin and coldly damp hair.

"Stop that," the brunet reprimanded while trying to tilt his head and force the ex-knight away from his neck.

Seifer teased, "Stop what?" He blew a puff of warm air into Squall's sensitive ear. Loosening his grip, he nibbled on a silky lobe and inhaled deeply of fresh scented skin and the sweet lingering fragrance of shampoo.

Squall remained lax in the hold. A shudder wracked through his body as Seifer sensually ran groping hands down his sides and across a taught stomach. "You're in love with me," the blond spoke huskily.

Mustering his self-control, Squall evenly replied, "Let me finish." Freeing one arm he stretched it out to flip the mixer off.

In one abrupt movement, Seifer pulled at the slim waist, effectively clashing Squall's ass with his groin. Hooking his right arm cross wise along Squall's chest and down to a hip where he could feel the sexy curve of bone through the cotton fabric, he kept his reluctant kitten in place. "You love me," Seifer whispered breathily.

Plush lips parted to utter another reprimand but the words never came at the gentle press of warm lips to his neck.

The tall knight ducked his head low, trailing his mouth along one side to the other, brushing silky strands from an enticing nape before making it to the other side. It wasn't enough though, so he used his free hand to pull at the azure shirt's neckline. The long sleeved shirt was just stretchy and loose enough to allow him to expose nearly all of one narrow shoulder. Not entirely satisfied, he moved to a smooth jaw that he still found hard to believe remained to smooth without shaving.

"Seifer," Squall breathed out, groaning as he threw his head back against a broad shoulder and decided that once he got used to it, the stubble wasn't so bad. "You'll get flour on your sleeve," he managed to say with the last vestiges of his quickly waning sense.

The knight's broad form went rigid. Seifer began to laugh outright, affectionately hugging the smaller man against his rumbling chest. "You sure know how to kill the mood."

Squall gave a noncommittal shrug, not sure how relieved he should feel that Seifer had stopped.

"A good morning kiss then," Seifer settled, dusting off the sleeve of his white dress shirt, pointedly examining it for any trace of what wouldn't be noticeable in the first place.

Rolling his eyes at the blond's display, Squall relented, "If you get off." Seifer was leaning heavily against his back, hunching him forward to carry his weight.

"I'll get off, if you spread your legs for me once you're done and let me fuck you raw on one of these counters." He emphasized his suggestion by nudging a knee between Squall's thighs and subtly bucking against the lithe man's shapely ass.

Squall scowled at the knight's vulgar words. He found greater distaste in the fact that he felt entirely turned on by it. His mind filled with a rather vivid image of himself being thrust into while bent over the counter, or what Seifer so eloquently referred to as fucked raw. "You're being a crude moron," he eventually bit out.

"And you love me for it," the blond shot back, sneaking a hand around to cup Squall's sadly less than hard erection. Still, even through the course cotton of that red apron and tight fabric of those black leather pants, he could feel some manner of aroused state.

Squall stared across the counter, seeing the vacant room and casting a sardonic expression at it. He would not be the only one effected, the only one pushed around. He spoke softly, not trusting that he could actually speak in a lust filled tone on call, "What I love is your cock buried inside of me, fucking me, tearing me apart, coming inside me over and over again." He emphasized his points by grinding back against the tensed knight. Before he could burst out laughing, finding little else quite so funny as completely shocking Seifer, he added a few cherries. It was more a mockery really. "Harder," he urged as though they were in the midst of having sex, "Deeper, I won't break, Hyne Seifer, fuck me harder."

Squall didn't take notice of the fact that Seifer was no longer leaning on him, nor that there was a rather prominent bulge poking him in the back. Just as stormy blue eyes registered this last part, he was roughly spun around.

In a frenzied kiss, Seifer found that he could not delve deep enough into the brunet's mouth quickly enough. A joke to be sure, Squall never spoke in such a manner. But he would not be man if that hadn't completely turned him on, sending trills of pleasure through his body and a rush of blood directly to his now throbbing dick.

Seifer could taste hints of mint toothpaste. He twirled his tongue against Squall's, loving the wet exchange and naturally sweet taste that was entirely Squall. Roving each crevice, he drew out encouraging moans. This had been the morning kiss he'd missed when his minx had run off to fulfill festival duties so early.

Before, he'd cursed that they were not somewhere private, where Squall would be willing to take things quite farther than the heated meshing of lips and tongues. Now, he cared little for surroundings, simply wanting to bend the brunet over and do exactly as the pale Commander had spoken.

"There are consequences for brash taunts Leonhart," he warned at the panting end of the kiss. Gruffly kneading leather clad cheeks, he initiating another fevered meeting of their mouths.

Managing to pull away long enough for a sharp intake of air and a quick reply, Squall spoke, "This ends now if you threaten to punish me." Another franticly needy kiss ensued. The feel of Seifer's tongue entwining with his own made his legs feel weak, seeming to pull the stability right out of them. "And," he breathed out, more into Seifer's mouth than against it, "no…no leather comments…"

"Whips?" Seifer asked, only half listening as he punctuated the moments with frantic and sloppy open mouthed kisses, one after the other.

"No," the brunet managed to affirm. Helplessly losing himself, Squall found his hands grappling with the knight's tie. "You choose to wear a tie today?" he voiced in complaint.

"I thought I'd be wearing it longer," Seifer retorted while happily setting to work on blindly unbuckling one of Squall's belts. It was a relief to only feel one, binding leather pants to a slim waist. He hoped that his lack of interest in taking the apron off wasn't a dead give away that he intended to screw the brunet with it on.

Something in Seifer's words struck Squall with a sharply edge brick of reality. "Shit," he cursed with a mixed gaze of accusation and apology up at the tanned man's chiseled face.

"Oh no," Seifer began, his jade eyes pleading, "No, no, no, no," he repeated imploringly. "Don't quit on me now kitten, not now."

"We're in the kitchens," Squall reminded, more to himself than Seifer.

Desperate to rekindle that lustful fire, and cursing whatever had doused it, Seifer attacked a slender neck. He suckled on a collarbone, earning a beautiful moan.

Squall was more than apprehensive about someone walking in, but Seifer had this way of turning his mind about and erasing all worries. It wasn't a pleasant disadvantage to be at, unless he was already under the influence, in which case it was quite pleasant. "Not here, please," he requested, knowing that if Seifer so chose, he would indeed find himself atop a counter or against the floor.

A cat's meow shattered the moment, teetering the couple over the edge to the side that held no quickies in the kitchen.

"Hold on," a voice called, distant from outside the door leading to the cafeteria.

More meowing followed, along with the sound of scratching against one of the swinging double doors.

"It's so early," the falsetto whining of a young female cadet filtered through.

With a growl, Seifer broke away from his quarry. His hands were the last to leave, lingering on the Commander's butt, reluctant to let go.

Just as the doors opened with a small crick, two forms came into view and Squall abruptly turned back to the counter. Seifer still stood in close proximity, nearly pressed against him.

Greta entered the kitchen with a part time aid in toe. She wasn't surprised to see Commander Leonhart, having been informed that he'd be giving a hand with the additional preparations during the winter festival. However, the presence of Seifer Almasy was a bit unexpected, but not without merit since the knight was the Commander's bodyguard.

Gabriel scampered across the room, quickly seeking out Squall.

"Gabriel," Tracy called out to the black cat. She'd figured the cute little guy was just really hungry, but the black form darted around with a set target in mind, which she didn't realize until she looked up to see the Commander and Ultimecia's knight. With an inaudible gasp, she understood.

Squall was almost thankful for the distraction Gabriel provided. Time had slipped away from him and he hadn't realized that the cooks would be filing in soon. Bending down, he picked the excited creature up, spoiling it with uncommon affection for the sake of filling the awkward space.

"Good morning," the red haired woman greeted in a voice that did not suggest it was only six o'clock.

"Morning," Squall mumbled in response, giving a curt nod to both Greta and the cadet at her side who sounded vaguely familiar.

"Good morning Commander, sir," Tracy gave a brief salute, also needing to fill the awkward void. After obsessing over her previous encounter, her mind had quickly jumped to the ready with this one. Maybe it really was just her, maybe she was seeing things where there was nothing to be seen. Regardless, her perceptive eyes had quickly taken in the sight of the two men standing far too close than for simple conversation.

Once again, the blond knight looked as though he'd been kissing someone, and for that matter, so did the Commander. As much as her eyes wanted to focus on the fact that Squall Leonhart was wearing an apron covered in flour, she diverted her attention to the light blue shirt that was out of place. The neckline was lopsided, as though a certain tanned knight had been rearranging it. And for a man whose white shirt and black dress pants looked primly pressed, the black tie was obviously in the process of being taken off.

Seifer refrained from saying anything, biting his tongue with bitter regret. Could he not get one moment alone with Squall? Discretely shifting out of view, knowing the serving girl's eyes had a knack for picking up every detail after hearing the some of the rumors that were flying around, he moved further away and took a seat on a nearby stool.

"Finish here and we can have breakfast," he mumbled to the brunet currently scratching the ear of a purring mass of black fur.

Ten minutes later, Seifer was sipping a cup of coffee and nursing the painfully unfulfilled erection. Falling into the bored slump, he seemed dead on his feet but willing to bite the early morning bullet to watch Squall. It had been around four o'clock when the insane Commander woke up and prepared for an early day. Seifer had protested adamantly, but that never stopped Squall. So, after a lie in that consisted of no extra sleep and only tossing and turning, Seifer had grudgingly followed, showing up an hour later. He was almost certain that had be not been interrupted with Squall, he would have been wide-awake and not sulking in a sleepy state.

Greta had been the one to make the coffee, more sympathetic to the ex-knight's sour mood. She'd joined the Commander in time to help him form little round balls of some chocolate cookie dough concoction in need of chilling. There were about twenty dozen finished so far, which was a bit of an anomaly in her opinion. It was almost as though it had suddenly appeared, the way a single person could make so much in such a short time span. There hadn't even been a trace of the regally feminine boy's work, except for what was on the borrowed smock.

That one cadet, Tracy was her name if Seifer recalled Tilmitt's words correctly, was nervously moving back and forth around the kitchen to set everything up.

"So, after doing this, are you done for festival volunteering?" Seifer asked with a dramatic yawn.

"Doubt it," Squall replied.

"What are they?" the knight followed up. He'd been eyeing the stuff for some time, not seeing how it was edible.

With a halfhearted shrug, Squall conceded that he didn't really know. "Some type of cookie Selphie wanted to go with the gourmet coffee she ordered for breakfast." Truthfully, Squall wasn't a baker by any means. Most of what he was capable of throwing together would have made him a cook, but even that seemed basic to him and hardly made him qualified for this work.

Speaking for the first time, not including the awkward morning greetings to both the Commander and his bodyguard, Greta commented, "You didn't follow the recipe exactly." It wasn't chastising, just an observation made by a chef. Nearby there was a piece of paper that looked untouched, not to mention too far away to imply the Commander had even used it.

"Never do," Squall spoke at length, his mind elsewhere. At the last stage of his baking tasks, his hands were ritualistically following an established routine. Because of this, his mind wandered. It was early, and for the first time in weeks, his body felt it. That was the trouble with sleeping regularly, the body began to grow used to it, to depend on it. Though, he'd had quite the wake up call when Seifer joined him.

"Have you had any formal training?" Greta inquired in the politest tone Squall had ever heard anyone use.

It was slightly disconcerting to be addressed with such an obvious wariness. He may have been the Commander, but considering he was currently rolling balls of cookies in a flour-dusted apron on, he imagined she would lighten up. Naturally, he wasn't one to talk, never really letting his guard down around anyone but a select few he'd known most his life.

"Not really, I don't think," Squall answered with an air of uncertainty.

Golden brown eyes cast a curious sidelong glance at the choppy haired brunet. Assured by Zell's word that Squall Leonhart wasn't nearly as menacing or icy as he seemed, she ventured to voice her thoughts, "You don't think?"

"Do you have any chef's hats around here?" Seifer asked. Seated at a nearby counter, elbows propped on the shiny aluminum surface, he stared unabashed at the Commander with obvious want in his jade eyes. The half empty mug of coffee wasn't nearly as useful in waking him up as the thought of Squall dressing up just a little more. The apron was inexplicably sexy, more so than usual. He was none too happy that it wasn't the one he'd given to Squall, but it still did wonders for outlining that slim waist and showing that gentle curve of hips.

Squall chose to ignore Seifer's words. Showing Greta that she too was better off not listening to the blond knight, he said, "I don't remember much from when I was a kid. I think my sister might have shown me a few things."

"You have a sister?" the red head immediately followed up, hinting at an underlying want to know more about all of Zell's friends.

Squall nearly smiled at this. It wasn't any secret why the blond boxer sang this young woman's praises. There was something so entirely innocent and shy about her that was completely disarming. While she seemed nervous and uncomfortable, she managed to put others at ease.

"Yeah, adoptive actually," he indulged, willing to speak full sentences only because she was Zell's wife and she was making an effort to at least become acquaintances with himself. It sounded extremely odd in his head, to think that any of them might be married. But he supposed it couldn't have been any more odd than the others thinking of him and Seifer together. There was an odd feeling of warmth at the idea of other people knowing, perhaps saying that he was Seifer's boyfriend or the vice.

"So, Greta," Seifer spoke up rather pointedly cutting in, "Where'd you grow up?" It was a random question, anything to disrupt the cozy little exchange between this woman and Squall.

"Eh?" the short woman intoned with a sort of unprepared floundering.

Squall shot a quick look towards Seifer, reprimanding him for setting her on edge with that intimidating tone. "Balamb, wasn't it? Did you know Zell then?" the brunet input in the most soothing tone he could manage, which wasn't really all that soothing. It wasn't like him to make nice, but he also wasn't going to let Seifer bully her. Being Zell's wife didn't mean she automatically became Mrs. Chicken-wuss.

Eventually, Greta pulled her attention back to the man beside her. She definitely never expected to find solace in speaking to Squall Leonhart. "Uh, yes, Balamb."

'Play nice,' Squall mouthed to Seifer.

Green eyes sparkled with mischief, and something else that Squall wasn't quite sure how to read. 'Blow me,' the knight mouthed back.

Squall wasn't sure if Seifer was just being an ass or if he was really making a request. Either way, he shrugged his shoulders subtly and returned his focus to rolling the rest of the dough into balls.

The sound of a pan being dropped nearby distracted Greta long enough for her to tell Tracy to be careful. Returning her focus, she spoke, "I never knew him when I was a kid, though I had heard of him. He had quite the reputation for the weirdest things. Like, his record for chin ups, or the most consecutive back hand springs down the harbor ramp." Giggling slightly, Greta shook her head at some fond memory. "I wish I could have seen it really, they say he ended up falling over the edge."

Gray-blue eyes cast a glance at the top of the young woman's head. While he wouldn't be one to use such a tidbit against Zell, though he did feel such a sight would be amusing, he knew Seifer would. But, he wasn't about to tell her that Seifer would tease her husband mercilessly for it.

Growing more comfortable, perhaps from the easy silence that seemed to be a part of the Commander's personality, she continued. "I went to Deling City to learn the finer points of cooking. There are so many restaurants there that I hopped from one job to the next and just soaked it all in, every place was so different with what it served. You know, there was this one place I worked at for about four months that made Estharian cuisine. I didn't really know what it was, but now it all makes sense. I didn't really think such a place existed."

"Hmm," Squall voiced in agreement.

"And you're the president's son, I just think that's amazing. President Loire is such a nice man, though his tastes are a little weird. But, that's just me thinking back to what I made at that restaurant. He has more of a Galbadian stomach."

"Galbadian stomach?" the brunet questioned.

"Yeah, it's all about the meat with them. Generally, Estharian cuisine is centered around exotic fruits."

"I see," Squall said, truly interested. It might come in handy to know this. It was one thing to judge a person by their mannerisms and their accents, but to know their background by what they ate, that was intriguing.

Seifer glared with unwarranted malice at the homely looking woman beside Squall. It wasn't that they looked good together, but that Squall didn't seem as uptight and closed off around her as he should. Dincht's wife or not, she was still a stranger.

"I'm not petting you," Seifer announced at the staring cat on the counter. The feline just looked at him expectantly while swishing its tail back and forth.

"Seifer," Squall reprimanded, "Keep him over there." It wasn't the most sanitary idea to have Gabriel running all over the kitchen while preparing food.

"I'm wearing white," the blond knight shot back.

With a scoff, Squall gave the sulking man a reprimanding glare.

Grinning at his own humor, Seifer said, "Put on chef's hat and I'll break out a ball of yarn."

"There are not hats, stop being an idiot."

"Hey kid!" the persistent ex-knight called out to the blonde cadet near the back pantry. "Know where any of those white mushroom hat things are?"

There was a startled sound of boxes falling, before a blinking cadet appeared in flustered nervousness.

Greta held a warm smile of amusement. Zell had told her many stories about the odd exchanges that occurred between the Commander and the rivaling knight.

Minutes later, Squall found himself grudgingly forced into the most ridiculous looking chef's hat. Glaring icy daggers at an amused blond knight, he folded his arms and shifted on foot.

Greta and Tracy found themselves taking a break to cast subtle glances at the pair's antics. Tracy was beside herself with speculation, unable to deny the vibes she was getting from the two.

Seifer nearly lost it when the hat flopped forward, too big for the angry kitten's head. It was adorable and sexy all at once. "I wish I had a camera," he stated with longing.

"I wish you'd jump off a roof," Squall shot with seething ill content. How exactly did Seifer manage to put him in situations like these? Quistis always said he was the most stubborn person she'd ever met, so why did he end up posing for Seifer in a hat?

Seifer smiled broadly, more amused at the brunet's words.

"Tch," Squall intoned in defeat when that smile sent a pleased shiver down his spine.

Tracy kneeled down inconspicuously to pet Gabriel and watch the two, she was just in range to hear their words if she strained her ears.

Seifer stepped closer to his moody charge. After the potion incident, he felt fairly confident that he could handle any level of anger Squall sent his way. Reaching out he snatched the item from atop the brunet's head.

"This isn't exhibitionism. I'm not asking to make out with you in public," Seifer whispered dejectedly.

"It's just the hat, it's stupid," Squall replied.

Seifer raised his brows questioningly. "You sure about that?" His green eyes almost sparkled in challenge. "Fix my tie," he ordered.

Gray-blue eyes narrowed. Hesitantly, Squall took a small step closer and reached up to fix Seifer's tie. All the while he straightened and set it in order, the knight shown an arrogant smirk down at him. With a precarious jerk, he tightened the knot a little too tightly and grinned at Seifer's faltering smirk.

"Thanks," the blond said with a gulp. Hooking an index finger beneath the knot, he loosened it slightly.

Squall shot him a look of defiance, as though claiming victory on the challenge.

"You've got a little something on your cheek," Seifer whispered.

"I don't," Squall hissed with wide eyes. Not willing to lose, he stayed in place, but he gulped with apprehension. He hoped that Seifer didn't do what he thought the knight was about to do.

Seifer ducked closer, languidly trailing his tongue across a pale cheek. He cast a quick glance to a gaping cadet frozen in place. He winked before looking away. Eyes fixed on the silky strands of hair that nearly brushed his nose, he spoke low enough for only Squall to hear, his lips hovering millimeters from the Commander's ear, "Trepe wants you to make us public at the next press conference."

TBC….

A/N Sorry for the long wait. Anyways, I figure there are only so many rumors that can start before they get in trouble for not telling everyone. Personally, I hate the idea that Squall would have to divulge something like this to the other Commanders, but that's how it is. The longer they wait, the more of a conspiracy it becomes. Besides, no one really knows about Seifer's return, which means there is one big bomb waiting to go off. Oh, the scandals! Well, please review, it makes me update faster!


	10. Chapter 10

**Warning:** Explicit content. By now, I imagine most have already read some of the other sexed up chapters, but I'll still be putting the warning in. It's slash in all it's yaoi goodness, so beware the SxS loving if you're too young to be reading anything that is sexually graphic.

Chapter Ten

Good Morning Romps

With the inaudible click of a few buttons, Seifer was well on his way to revenge for Irvine's stolen kiss. Squall said he couldn't hurt the cowboy, at least not with Hyperion and his fists. Instead, he'd simply be the cocky bastard he was so good at being and taunt the hell out of the gunman.

Turning his cell phone off, he raised his head slightly to scour the premises. It was quiet, Squall being awake probably wouldn't have changed that. He was in bed still, his sleeping lion curled against him. It was beyond satisfying and fulfilling to just lie there and listen to the gentle sound of Squall breathing.

Soft tresses of dark brown hair were splayed across his shoulder while the pale beauty's face was hidden in the crook of his neck. The night before, Squall had conceded that if he felt like having a beard it was fine, but that he missed the spicy scented aftershave. Yet, even without that supposed scent Squall enjoyed, the younger man unconsciously furled closely in the same manner as always.

What he intended to do was pushing the envelope further than ever before. Squall would no doubt storm off and likely ignore him for a month. He was counting on the gunman's reaction of shock to keep the man's mouth shut and presence unknown.

The blond knight waited, lazily trailing his fingers through Squall's silky hair. He must have really tired the kitten out last night, the lithe body didn't stir even a little. Sex did that to Squall, making it the only reason he was able to bully the boy into sleeping regularly.

He flopped his head back to the pillow, images of the previous night replaying pleasantly through his head. Squall was amazing, fucking amazing. The Commander's moans of ecstasy were erotic like nothing else. It was that rarely used tone crying out with unbidden lust, it sent shivers down his spine and straight to his groin. And while the brunet made fun of the idea of talking dirty, those rouged and bruised lips formed the words that his wet dreams were made of. 'Harder, deeper, rougher, don't stop, never stop, fuck me now', those were the garbled orders that he managed to wring from a slender throat last night. The best moments were when Squall came while screaming his name.

He wouldn't have thought it possible, but the kitten had gotten better at sucking him off. There was something so arousing about watching Squall swallow his release and lap up any escaped fluids that made him hard all over again.

It wasn't long before he heard the faint sounds of the door's code being punched in. A little sooner than he'd expected, he flailed an arm over the edge of the bed in search of some piece of clothing to throw. The objective was to not wake Squall up, not yet anyway.

Finding a haphazardly discarded pair of black briefs, which he'd expressed approval of since they outlined the Commander's ass so much better, he grabbed them. Before the gunman could tromp in and wake sleeping beauty, he balled the garment up and flung it across the room and out an open door.

Apparently he had better timing than he thought, as the form of Irvine Kinneas came into to view seconds later, briefs in hand and an extremely confused look on his face.

Violet eyes widened at the sight of two forms naked from the waist up and no doubt just as naked beneath the drawn up sheet. Squall curled against Seifer, pillowed against the knight's tanned chest and tucked contently against the man's neck. It was shocking to see Squall sound asleep, more so than hearing his voice during orgasm. The image their Commander projected and the spectacle before him clashed violently.

Seifer withheld a devious smirk. Raising his free arm, the one that wasn't loosely draped across the smooth skin of Squall's back, he gestured for silence with an index finger to his lips.

Irvine blinked, eyes still wide with confusion. What the hell was going on?

With the hard part over, Seifer teasingly ran calloused fingertips from nape to tail of Squall's spine, his hand disappearing under the plain linen sheet. Squall twitched as his fingers trailed between the hidden cleft of cheeks, intent on entering that puckered entrance. The anticipation of burying himself in that tight heat was enough to let him have his jollies.

"Nnh," was the first waking noise Squall made, a groan of half sleeping encouragement.

Seifer tore his jade eyes from a stirring princess and locked his gaze on the gunman, who stood rigidly in the doorframe holding Squall's underwear. Quirking a brow, as if to ask the cowboy if he desired to see more, Seifer gripped the sheet and slowly pulled it away.

With a gulp, Irvine watched. He was in a frozen shock, desire automatically building. At the moment his jealousy was lost. His eyes broke from the cocky bastard of a knight to stare fixedly at what the shifting sheet would expose to him.

Gliding with mesmerizing slowness, the fabric was taken away. At the same moment, Seifer plunged one finger into Squall. It was just enough to wake the brunet up, but not enough to hurt. He'd cleaned the sated kitten up fairly well, no remnants of his seed detectible.

"Seifer," Squall breathed out with a waking stretch that just so happened to arch himself back onto the plunging digit.

Grinning broadly, Seifer leaned his head back into the pillow and cast slanted gaze at a desperately frantic gunman. It was a cruel punishment.

Irvine felt his stomach drop, feeling those butterflies flutter in an almost nauseating manner. He was already so distraught over his affections for the Commander, what Seifer was doing was sheer cruelty. He couldn't interrupt because this was the closest he'd ever get to being with Squall, yet at the same time he couldn't watch because it was another man touching the Commander in such a way. Lost between his arousal and his anguished longing, he stood without movement.

Voyeurism was not the gunman's preferred course of action, but that wasn't to say he didn't have an extensive porn collection. Gay porn was strictly off limits, but then again, so were men prior to his infatuation with Squall.

'Holy Hyne!' Irvine's mind raged, all issues suddenly wiped from his head. Squall was rocking back onto Seifer's fingers.

"What t-time is it?" the brunet questioned with his eyes scrunched shut.

Coherent thoughts were Seifer's cue to take it to the next level. By now, his hands and fingers knew Squall's body well. Every curve and supple inch of flesh was identifiable from a simple caress. There was one place in particular that he'd learned to find easily. A half empty bottle of lube was under the pillow. A quick squirt that drizzled down to wet his thrusting fingers was all the preparation he needed before inserting a third finger and pressing against the brunet's sensitive prostate gland.

"Aah!" Squall cried at the unexpected rush to stimulating his sweet spot. His immediate reaction was to pointedly spread his legs wider, conveniently throwing one over the knight's tanned thighs to bring himself closer to the inevitable result of having Seifer's cock buried inside of him.

"It's still early, no worries," Seifer answered in regards to the Commander's question of time.

"What- ahh, Hyne Seifer, more."

Seifer grinned like a Cheshire cat. It was truly difficult to keep his own thoughts straight enough to remember they had an audience, something Squall would hang him for. The fact that Hyperion was nearby didn't make his life any safer. There wasn't even the thrill of exposure to add to it, it was just the worry that if Squall turned around the brunet would see a very shocked, very aroused gunman.

"Ride me," the blond ordered. Seifer retracted his hand, inadvertently causing a rare whimper to escape thus far under kissed lips. Gripping slim hips, he hitched Squall to lie atop himself completely.

As Seifer coated his leaking member Squall leaned forward and pressed his lips against the ex-knight's. It remained fairly shallow for the sake of satisfying other needs. Squall squirmed back until he felt the press of Seifer's erection against his lower back. Leaning flush against the blond's chest, he eased himself onto the stiff organ while Seifer guided it inside of him.

Short preparation made for a tighter fit, making the brunet stop after the mushroomed head had slid passed his slick entrance.

The Commander could control the world if every leader knew how good it felt to have sex with the Balamb Lion. It was Seifer's pride to have Squall all to himself.

The knight gave a grunt of exultation when Squall released a deep breath and thrust back onto him. With his pulsing cock driven near the hilt in gripping heat, he soothed the adjusting brunet into relaxation by massaging the boy's hips, kneading the flesh tenderly.

"You're mine, all mine," Seifer declared with a possessive raking of his eyes over the bared form on top of him.

Sitting straighter, effectively sheathing the large cock completely, Squall stared down into entrancing eyes. A small shiver ran his spine at the idea of belonging to Seifer. It was inexplicably pleasing to feel so wanted, but he could not possibly let the comment go without retorting, "I belong to no one."

With a soft chuckle, Seifer found Squall's ever-defiant nature more adorable than agitating. He could whisper sweet nothings into the younger man's ear all night long, and the only response he'd get would be an order to shut up and go to sleep. "My dick in your ass suggests otherwise," the knight countered with a gamely tone of challenge.

Raising his eyebrows, Squall gave the knight a questioning look. Promptly leaning forward, he pulled off a bit before slamming back down with sharp pain and repeating several times.

"Fuck!" Seifer yelled at the unexpected rush of sensations to his leaking member. Sometimes he just couldn't predict how far Squall would take things.

After the first several thrusts, Squall stopped. It was more painful at the moment than anything, not having stretched enough yet. The glazed look of the blond's eyes was all the reaction he needed to make his efforts worth it. Reaching out, he ran cool fingertips along the tanned man's toned chest. Sculpted pectorals were hard beneath heated skin.

Seifer stifled a groan of longing, wanting the feel of Squall gyrating against him to return. "Okay," he conceded with only half his mind present, "But your heart is mine."

Softly smiling down at this man he'd come to love, Squall met the knight half way. "No more than yours is mine."

"Fuck Leonhart, you can have all of me," Seifer chuckled with a light slap against one of the brunet's cheek, not enough to be considered a spank, since that would not please the boy.

As Squall's heart beat increased, a light feeling in his chest, the corners of his mouth upturned into a genuine smile. This man before him was a rude prick most of the time, yet he could not deny the knight his affections. Seifer must have known this for the smug air he went about making him repeat certain phrases all the time. Now, those green eyes looked up at him with reverent awe, a soft love swirling in their depths.

"Come here," Seifer whispered, stricken by the most rare of smiles he received. As that lithe torso leaned forward, he cupped his hands just beneath the brunet's jaw and pulled him down for a kiss.

Shallow again, it was a slow paced meshing of their lips. Seifer willed his feelings to be expressed in the simple act, wanting his kitten to know just how much he'd fallen for him. There were times when he still found it difficult to believe, only his body knowing how right it was. Late at night, when he'd need that pale form pressed closely, his eyes would roam the Commander's body as though it were a foreign presence. Hyne, he never felt alive before being with Squall like this.

The kiss deepened, causing Squall to moan and squirm impatiently at the waiting cock inside of him. Somehow the simple act that he'd done countless times was just as overwhelming as ever, washing over him with warm contentment and insatiable lust.

When the moment felt unbearable, Squall began to move, rocking his hips. It was so good, the feeling of Seifer's dick pulling out slowly before pushing back in. Wanting to feel the man deeper, Squall broke the kiss and straightened up. With his hands anchored against washboard abs, he began to pick the pace up.

Sporting the most painful hard on of his life, Irvine leaned against the doorframe in a hunch. He should leave, part of him wanted to, but he couldn't. His eyes were trained on the slender backside of the Commander. Even nude, there was a detectable curve that was almost feminine, the slim waist curving to meet that sinfully fuckable ass. It was the greatest shame that it wasn't his own erect penis buried inside the pale man.

As the Commander began impaling himself with mindless fervor, Irvine felt himself beginning to gasp for breath. The panting and moaning and sight of exactly what it really looked like to fuck the brunet were too much. He really shouldn't be there. At this rate, he was going to come in his pants and alert Squall to his presence, which was something he couldn't let happen. He had to leave. Seifer Almasy was an evil bastard deserving of a sorceress such as Ultimecia. This was beyond reasonable punishment for kissing Squall, which he knew was the reason for the text message now.

When Seifer thrust upwards to meet Squall's harsh thrusts downwards, the brunet cried out in glorified pain and ecstasy. Driving himself deeper into that sinfully tight hole, he gripped slim hips, using them like handles to help slam Squall's body down harder.

"Seifer!" Squall cried as the knight was plunged deeper than before and continuously pressed against that unbelievably pleasurable spot inside.

At the wanton cry of the bastard knight's name, Irvine tore from his spot, nearly stumbling. Gritting his teeth, gnashing them harshly, he stalked from the apartment. This was overkill. While he wasn't the vengeful type, he'd make that arrogant knight pay for such a stunt. With an erection in dire need of tending and images of his Commander to last a lifetime, the gunman gruffly shut his coat and made a beeline for the nearest area of privacy.

Seifer nearly had to bit his lip to keep a victorious smirk from forming. Now that Kinneas was no longer a spectator, he surged forward and unbalanced Squall. The brunet was taken by surprise, but allowed Seifer to lower him to the bed without even flinching. The ex-knight was one part impressed and one part arrogant about the fact that Squall seemed to trust him explicitly.

Hardly missing a beat, Seifer took over the role of domination and began thrusting into the pale body sprawled beneath him. Hands hooked behind the Commander's knees, he pressed the surprisingly flexible legs back.

After countless thrusts of mercilessly aiming at the brunet's prostate, Seifer released the legs and allowed them to wrap around his waist. With his hands now free, he reached out to fist Squall's erection.

The brunet arched into Seifer's touch, groaning as the knight teased him both inside and out. "Sei-fer," he stuttered in a mixture between warning and habit of calling the man's name in bed.

Seifer figured Squall would have known by now that he never came more than a few moments after the brunet. There was no need for warning. Once those tight walls gripped him convulsively he was a goner, no matter how close he might have been to begin with.

Leaning down, the blond laved his tongue over a pert nipple. This seemed to overload the system, as Squall arched off the bed with a stifled cry of completion. That bottom lip would be sore judging from the way Squall sank his teeth into it.

Seifer's mind was a blank slate, nothing but pleasure was present in his body. He felt his balls clench as the searing heat gripped him in time with the artful image of Squall spurting ribbons of cum over his hand. Following the lion over the edge, he shot wave after wave of hot cum into the man.

Wallowing in euphoric bliss, Seifer remained inside Squall, his softening penis giving a few twitches every now and again, the orgasm still coursing through him. Sitting back, he brought Squall with him. Once his arms were wrapped around the brunet's sticky torso, he hugged the smaller man fiercely.

It was morning, so there would be no sating sleep to follow, where he could hold the younger boy like this for hours on end. Instead, he took advantage of Squall's rather complacent nature after sex and held the man for an unreasonable amount of time, simply holding him while the time ticked by.

After the first five minutes, Squall realized that the knight intended on holding him for an indeterminable amount of time. Relaxing more fully into the embrace, he made himself as comfortable as he could, what with Seifer still inside him and covered in his own seed. After a few more minutes, he began to wonder if Seifer had discovered something he hadn't. Slipping his arms from their pinned position, he raised them and returned the blond's gesture. A shiver ran his spine when the knight sighed against his neck and gave an encouraging squeeze. Without words or questions, Squall wrapped his arms around Seifer's neck. Closing his eyes, he rested his head on a broad shoulder.

"Hyne, I can't believe you're mine," Seifer spoke after some time, his voice a bit raspy, almost in the husky manner he carried when aroused.

Blue eyes searched the morning sky beyond the window above their bed for a moment. "I thought we decided none of it made any sense, none of it is supposed to be believable."

Seifer tightened his hold, all too aware that his strength could crush the smaller man. "But it's you Leonhart, of all the people in this world to… make me feel this way."

Shrugging, Squall dismissed it. It didn't matter anymore, not for them. There really was no plausible explanation they could give the world or themselves. It was only what they felt, something so strong that even he, the supposed ice prince, could not deny the feeling. It wasn't something he could hide like all his other emotions. Whether he'd broken down on that one day when Seifer had first kissed him, assaulted him was more like it, he would have eventually found himself swept up and carried along. It would have found a way to manifest. There was no stopping such a strong attraction to each other, so overwhelming that after fourteen years of fighting, they were swapping spit not two days after the ex-knight's return.

"I have to talk to Irvine today," Squall stated when the thought entered his head.

Seifer stiffened, nearly jumping at the comment. "Why?" he ground out after realizing he hadn't been found out.

"Why?" Squall returned with incredulity.

"Let the cowboy suffer, he tried to rape you, remember?" the blond shot with malice.

Frowning, Squall shifted his head against the knight's shoulder. "He kissed me, it was nothing."

"You weren't so easy going about it when it happened," Seifer pointed out, none too happy that Squall seemed okay with it now.

Squall couldn't help a small smile at the knight's protective nature. Pressing his lips to the man's neck, he trailed a few light kisses along the throat and shoulder. "I was shocked. I don't deal well with surprises, especially those kinds. He thinks I'm using you because I need to," there was an embarrassed hesitation, "be with another man, and that I didn't want to use a friend."

Seifer scoffed at the ridiculous notion. "That's what hookers are for," he pointed out. The gunman had shitty reasoning skills to have come to such a conclusion.

"He should know the truth."

With mild surprise, Seifer questioned, "_You_ want to give everyone updates on how serious we are? I thought they just needed to know we were having hot steamy sex."

Leaving the matter for another time, Squall changed the subject. "I need a shower."

"What a coincidence, so do I. It would be irresponsible not to save water and just take one together."

With a dry scoff, Squall pointed out, "_Our_ showers take about four times as long as when we do it separately."

"That's cause you keep picking the soap up when I drop it," Seifer countered with innocent blame. "Come on princess, either you agree or I carry you there and screw you anyway."

"Whatever," Squall said evenly, masking any feeling one way or the other on the matter.

"You'll pay for that. That's the one word that should not exist."

Seifer was too easy to goad at times. "You're too easy," Squall whispered before tonguing the blond's ear.

Groaning at the wet appendage, Seifer ran his hands up and down the soft skin of Squall's back. "Keep that up and we won't be making it to the bathroom," he reprimanded.

"Then we'd better hurry," Squall warned with a rocking of his hips.

TBC…

A/N I actually planned on having a whole other event be included in this chapter, but the scene between Seifer and Squall just sort of grew too big. So I guess it's one big smutty chapter, with a little bit of plot with Irvine. Let's see, there is the press conference coming up, Selphie has to find herself a man, and poor Irvine just has to junction the guardian forces long enough to forget about that last few weeks. I also have a lot more in store with Laguna, and for the festival, Cid and Edea will be entering the show. And of course Rui, who I couldn't just leave out of it all, he's one of very few original characters after all. Well, anyway, thank you all for the awesome reviews! I tried to update faster as implied by the whole receiving more reviews thing!


	11. Chapter 11

Chapter Eleven

Two Steps Forward, One Step Back

Taking aim, second nature to such a practiced gunman, Irvine pulled the trigger with immeasurable precision in his single finger.

Violet eyes widened in shock as the bullet was deflected with an almost violent flash of neon yellow and pinging sound of his ammo hitting a magical barrier.

"I'm good," declared a cheerful voice from nearby.

Cocking his head, adjusting the black hat to ride further back, Irvine cast a sidelong glance to the copper haired young woman who'd joined him at the firing range. He was not in the mood. His morning had been shit, starting off with a wonderful display of just how fucking great it would be to have Squall and just how far away such a thing was to ever happening.

Selphie sensed something stirring beneath the surface in the gunman. And she didn't need to see the mass of bullet holes in the opposite end of the firing range to clue her in. They were going to have to find some form of magical bullets that could be replenished without burning gil left and right. When Irvine wanted to, he could use up a years supply of ammunition, none of which would be wasted on missed targets, but practicing could only go so far.

"I'm shootin' babe," the auburn haired man drawled, only making an effort to hide his bad mood because he cared for Selphie more than anyone else who might have ambled in.

"Yeah, and I totally mastered casting a spell without you seeing. Am I good or what?" she cheered happily.

Irvine saw beyond the spell caster's pride and detected her tone of consoling.

Heaving a sigh, Selphie stepped closer, pointedly taking structured steps and twirling as though a child mimicking a very crude form of ballet. "Squall came to me. He's looking for you."

Lowering his gun completely, Irvine regarded the short woman with his full attention. "What's he want?" he questioned trying not to sound as alarmed as he felt.

"Said he wanted to talk," she declared incredulously. "Imagine, Squally wanting to talk. He was all nervous at first, like he was trying to keep a juicy and embarrassing secret."

"Oh?" the gunman intoned at the prompting tone of excitement given by the green-eyed bundle of energy.

"You sly dog you," she cheered with a punch to Irvine's shoulder. "You kissed him. He's totally out of his element Irvy, you really shouldn't have done that." Her tone was amicably reprimanding, even if she was practically screaming inside.

"Did he tell you that?"

With a grin, she admitted, "Only after I beat it out of him."

"So, what's he want exactly?" he questioned, figuring that if she'd pried information out of the brunet, then she must know what he wanted to talk about.

Her grin widened. "He feels bad. Something about over reacting because he was so surprised, blah, blah, blah. He basically wants to try and clear things up, mostly apologize for punching you." She giggled a bit, "Nice bruise by the way."

Even after applying ointment, the bruise on his left eye was fairly noticeable. It took him a moment to realize that it was Selphie he was talking to. His eyes searched her face, unable to detect any false emotion there. Was this not the wonderful young woman who professed her love only a short while ago? How could she stand there and play the go between, seemingly unaffected by it all?

Still watching her keenly for any trace of hurt, he asked, "Did you tell him where I am?"

"I couldn't, I just found you myself. I did promise to let him know if I found out, but I wanted to give you a heads up first."

Swallowing his uncertainty, Irvine spoke quietly, "I saw them this morning."

Brows raised almost comically, Selphie shuffled her booted feet. "Saw who?"

"_Seifer_," he spat the name with loathing distain, "text me from Squall's phone. The bastard wanted me to see. Hyne Selph I don't know what I should be thinking. I mean, it's not just me right? Those two claiming to be in love is pretty fucked up right?"

Selphie's eyes widened. "You _saw _them having sex?" she hissed with jealousy.

Irvine frowned momentarily, replaying for the millionth time images of a naked Squall. Granted, he'd only seen the Commander from behind, but Hyne what a sight. Such pale and smooth skin that shifted beautifully over the toned muscles beneath. That slender back moved quite a lot, he recalled the seductive way the Commander's muscles contracted and spine arched while driving that perfectly shaped butt against impaling fingers. It was ruined by the fact that Seifer Almasy was also in the picture, the fucking bastard.

"Squall's bottom, isn't he?" Selphie queried with no trace of shame or reserve for the topic.

Irvine coughed, managing to choke on air for the outrageous comment.

"Oh, I knew it. Did you get any pictures?"

"No!" Irvine half shouted, "Why exactly is it okay for you to spy on Squall when it's inappropriate in all other instances? I don't see you following Zell and Greta around with a camera." He both resented and appreciated the fact that Selphie was so carefree about the matter. On one hand he had a partner in crime, someone who was almost as avidly interested in Squall's sex life as he was. On the other hand, he couldn't manage to feel so guilt free about it and resented her for it.

"That's cause Squally is more interesting and the fact that he's getting banged by Seifer is like all the toppings to the sundae. Don't get me wrong Irvy, I know you hate it, but so long as Squall stays all lovey-dovey with Seifer, then I still have a chance with you."

"He's not lovey-dovey," Irvine hissed vehemently, averting his eyes as he saw a pained expression in the shorter girl's eyes. "I don't care what Squall says, he's not in love. You don't fall in love with someone you spent your whole life hating. I'm telling you, Squall's gay and only needed someone to use that he wouldn't feel guilty about using."

"Irvine, please, I'm begging you. Don't become delusional. You know that's not true."

Briefly, Irvine flashed back on the time when he'd caught sight of the pair in Ragnarok's bathroom after Seifer returned from taking care of Epson. A white knuckled Squall clinging to the ex-knight as though the fate of the world depended on never letting go. Was that also for the sake of sex? Even he had been swayed upon witnessing it.

"I'm not delusional," he affirmed more to himself than to Selphie.

Raising his firearm he loosed yet another few rounds in quick succession.

Selphie stared at the cowboy's profile with stark green eyes, unflinching at each loud sound that pounded out in each shot. Was nothing in her life ever simple? What about Irvine's life? Was this a result of his change in character? If that were the case, then was it not her fault?

Maybe she should talk with Squall, sit down and lay it all out for the oblivious soul. Quistis' advice on the matter was heart felt and sound, but there was no point in trying to make Irvine jealous when he wouldn't even look her way anymore.

Selphie cast a quick glance towards the wall beyond the sectioned window Irvine was shooting past. Eyes narrowed, she forced herself to not stare. Three misses. Three bullets, one of which wasn't even close to the center. Irvine never missed, ever.

"I'll go get him," she whispered abruptly and trotted away, her step less bouncy than usual.

Irvine remained posed, gun aloft and still aimed, but out of rounds. Breathing heavily, his nostrils flared. His violet eyes didn't even register the wildly off centered marks.

"What the hells wrong with me?" he cursed under his breath. Tearing his unseeing eyes away, he stared after Selphie's trail, the vacant doorway nearby. What was he doing his little pilot?

Twenty minutes later, Irvine sat crouched against the wall opposite the firing booths, idly staring at the carpeted floor. His hands hung lamely between slightly parted and bent knees while his head fell downcast. Every so often he'd take a swing from a sleek sandalwood flask. He wasn't a big drinker, but had never passed up the opportunity or excuse. A few more sips and he'd be responsible for declaring himself unfit for holding a loaded weapon. It was strong stuff, not meant to be taken in such depressing consistency.

Irvine heard the almost non-existent sound of Squall stepping along the floor. In an area meant to muffle noises, it was intentional that the Commander's boots gave a soft thud, announcing his presence to a seemingly absorbed cowboy.

Squall didn't speak. Though it looked like the gunman might be smashed, he doubted that was the case.

Scattered thoughts flew through the pale brunet's mind. Selphie had spoken with him, though he'd likened it to pleading. He never claimed to be a good friend, at least not in a social sense, but he did care about them. He'd always cared for them, even if he didn't quite remember knowing them since he was little. Caring was what made him feel so bad at the moment. He'd completely overlooked Irvine.

He'd been putting off talking with the gunman for his own sake, being morbidly embarrassed and not having a clue what to say. All the while, he'd given no consideration to how Irvine might feel. Selfish and oblivious were two ways to describe how he'd acted for the past few weeks. Too absorbed in the hidden world that existed between himself and Seifer to even notice anything going on outside of it.

Squall stood for a while, pointedly not shifting simply to prove his attentiveness to the situation.

Irvine stared for a good five minutes at Squall's feet, not cognitively seeing the standard black boots that disappeared beneath baggy blue jeans. Eventually he raised his head, letting his eyes trail up the lean figure. It was a shame that Squall owned jeans, since the leather did so much more to outline his slim hips and tight butt. For that matter, it was shame that Squall wasn't facing the other direction.

Chewing on his bottom lip, Squall realized he was at least an hour too early to be having any conversations with Irvine. He needed more time to think, more time to register Selphie's words.

Out of his element, Squall was beyond struggling, he was desperate and beginning to feel a nervousness that surpassed what he'd felt upon entering Ultimecia's castle. It was ridiculous, but he'd truly rather face an army of angry rioters or an evil sorceress as opposed to holding any conversation that even remotely dabbled into the world of a friend's sexual attraction to himself.

Settling for the simplest starter, he apologized, "I'm sorry," and just in case Irvine still couldn't feel the nasty bruise on his face, he added, "for your eye."

With a sexy grin that had melted many a woman's heart, Irvine finished his slow raking gaze and stared into solemn gray-blue eyes. The abused bottom lip was testament to how nervous Squall was feeling, but he could care less since the action only turned him on. He wanted to be the one abusing that lip. Hyne, he wanted to be abusing so many more parts of Squall right now.

"S'not a problem," he drawled, perhaps embellishing a little slur just to make it seem like he was drunk. Though he was actually only a tiny bit tipsy, Squall didn't know how much. So if this discussion took a turn for the worse, he could blame it on the booze.

Pocketing the flask in an inner breast pocket of his brown leather duster, Irvine unfurled his long legs and languidly stood up to his full height. He towered over Squall, or at least it felt that way. In reality it was only a few inches. He towered over Selphie, but it felt the same with the Commander.

With dry sarcasm, the gunman questioned, "Where is your good sir knight?" The words almost echoed from the dream he'd had the other night.

It took Squall a moment to answer. "I wouldn't know," he spoke evenly. Inwardly he felt a little ruffled over the matter, but Irvine didn't know of his argument with Seifer over what the meeting with Raijin and Fujin was about.

Irvine went rigid, eyes staring in disbelief. He wanted to pinch himself. It must be a dream. He was almost certain he was awake though.

Frowning, Squall watched Irvine's eyes go wide and became confused. Was it so surprising that he was here without Seifer? He opened his mouth to reply that Seifer didn't follow him everywhere, but the gunman swiftly reached a hand out and pressed the tips of his fingers to his lips. Surprised and affronted, Squall took an involuntary step back, but he remained silent.

If this were a dream, then Irvine did not want Squall to say anything that hadn't been in the last one. And if it weren't a dream, then he still felt the same way, because then maybe it'd bare the same result. There was no table with half cleaned gun parts on it, but he could make do with the floor so long as it involved a naked brunet.

Unintentionally, Squall shot the gunman a harsh glare. It was instinctive, given the circumstances they'd last met under. A single kiss was seemingly petty to make such a big deal over, but according to Selphie, Irvine was seriously hung up over him, which made a kiss a lot more than it really was.

Irvine was grounded by the sheer sharpness to suddenly steely eyes. He wasn't dreaming. That cold shiver that came with staring into dangerously cold eyes was an effect that had to be experienced in the real world. A dream Squall could not conjure such fierceness.

Squall dropped his eyes quickly, but obviously not soon enough. He hadn't intended to make Irvine any less of a friend. The last thing he wanted was to create a cavernous rift. He had very few friends, and didn't exactly intend on making any new ones. So, the least he could do was not scare away the old.

Taking a deep breath, Squall decided that he'd be able to get through this if he constantly reminded himself that it was for the sake of not losing a friend. Biting the bullet, he dove into the unknown world of setting boundaries and explaining his feelings. Perhaps this would be practice for a less detailed overview of his relationship with Seifer to the press.

"What's between Seifer and myself is not what you think," he began.

Irvine cleared his throat to acknowledge that he was listening. Though if Squall looked up, the brunet would notice that his eyes were attentive.

"I'm not…." Brows furrowed, Squall tried to remember the exact insinuation Irvine had made, "I'm not using Seifer."

"Would you admit it if you really were?" the gunman questioned with patronizing incredulity.

Gritting his teeth, Squall lift his gaze and stared evenly into violet eyes. Since when did being with Seifer change who he was? "If I say I'm not using him, that means I'm not using him." Each word was spoken with meticulous restraint. Under his cold façade, he did not have the patience that everyone seemed to think came along with his introverted nature.

"Yes sir," Irvine conceded with a mock salute.

"Just how drunk are you?" Squall questioned with rising anger. It wasn't like he was forcing these words for himself.

"Not nearly drunk enough," Irvine declared. He could already tell where this was heading. Squall was going to once again affirm his love for the bastard knight and leave him high and dry. Trying to seduce the Commander at this point was like resigning himself to castration.

"Irvine, just what sort of relationship do you see us having?" Squall asked bluntly, throwing caution and tiptoeing to the wind. Might as well get right to the point.

"I see us having a rather fun time together," the auburn haired man drawled with cocky grin.

Squall blanched at the gunman's expression. Being cocky was Seifer's forte, not Irvine's. "Irvine, I'm not your toy truck."

"That was Zell's truck," he corrected.

"Whatever," the brunet dismissed. "The point is that while Seifer and I threw punches, you two were always running to Matron because one of you had something and the other wanted it. We're adults now, and you have no interest in men."

"But you do," Irvine affirmed, "Is that why Rinoa left?"

"Fuck Irvine!" Squall shouted, losing his temper. "Stop changing the subject. Rinoa has nothing to do with this. I like Seifer, penis or no penis."

Blinking, Irvine replayed the Commander's words in his head before laughing.

Taking a steadying breath, Squall blushed slightly while Irvine laughed at him. Rolling his eyes, he waited for the gunman to stop. "I'm glad you find it amusing," he muttered.

Once he was collected again, Irvine strode towards the cubicle area he'd been shooting from. Leaning against the sidewall, he asked, "So what were all those years of constant fighting about? Oh yeah, let's not forget when you tried to kill each other in the war."

"That was," Squall began, but fell silent when he remembered that even he hadn't figured out the exact answer. Between himself and the handsome blond knight, they'd acquired general assumptions, but it was all clichéd psychological conclusions.

"That was your courtship?" the gunman joked.

"It was misdirected emotion." The brunet winced at the stupidity he detected at the sound of it.

Irvine gestured to the point between his eyes, making a diagonal trace towards his cheek. "Was that misdirected emotion?" he questioned.

Squall lifted a hand to his scar. "Our training together wasn't the same as fighting," he mumbled defensively.

Curiously, Irvine stared at Squall for a moment. Jumping at the opportunity to know something new about Squall, he gestured to the barrier wall across from himself. "Indulge me," he requested.

Squall bit his lip in hesitation. Raking a hand through his hair, he shifted his choppy bangs out of his eyes. He stepped closer, taking his place across from Irvine, not four feet of distance between them.

"Whatever Quistis told you isn't entirely true."

With a nod, the gunman conceded the statement. "Well, please correct her. After all, who better to hear the truth from?"

Shifting uncomfortably, Squall leaned more heavily against the wall while crossing his arms. It wasn't exactly something he'd ever discussed with an outsider, that is, someone other than Seifer. Even Quistis didn't understand, and she'd been the only person to witness the whole development. Zell was a close second, but he hadn't been the instructor to oversee each of their punishments.

"I fought with Seifer because he annoyed the hell out of me. He fought with me for the same reasons."

"Quistis says that you ignored everyone and Sir Almasy needed attention like water. A rather needy dog, isn't he?"

Thinking back, Squall rolled his eyes at a younger and more annoying Seifer. "He thought I ignored him on purpose, even though it was obvious I treated him like everyone else."

"But you didn't," Irvine finished for Squall with jealousy.

"No, I could never ignore Seifer. But he thought I did and that pissed him off because of what we were to each other."

The jealousy only built, making Irvine wonder if he shouldn't take this conversation in small parts, only hearing a little of it each day. "What were you, to each other I mean?"

"We were…." Lips pressed together, Squall searched for the right phrasing. "I guess we were family. After everyone left, it was just Seifer and myself. He was with me when we first entered Balamb Garden. The only time we've ever been apart was when Ultimecia's showed up."

"So, you're shagging your brother?"

Glaring, Squall sent a silent warning to the gunman. He was already bent over backwards, talking about such private matters.

"Sorry," he apologized. He wasn't really sorry, but upon realizing that he had Squall standing before him looking sexy as all hell in a form fitting navy blue t-shirt, he also realized that he needed to keep the conversation going. It was the rarest of gems to have the Commander speaking like this, it was right up there with getting the man to bend over like in his dreams.

"We trained with our blades," he gestured to his face, "Sometimes we went overboard." He didn't mention that it was actually Seifer who'd gone overboard, not to mention used an underhanded trick. "We fought with words, but it was misdirected. I never hated him, he just annoyed me. And I doubt he hated me if he constantly looked out for me."

Squall might have been bending the truth as he knew it just a little, but Irvine would be none the wiser.

Incredulously, Irvine cast an angled gaze at the Commander from beneath the brim of his black hat.

"Seifer wasn't the only one who didn't take kindly to my silence." Squall glanced at Irvine, those uniquely purple eyes darkened by the shadow of that hat. Irvine was fairly close to being just as effeminate as himself, with bowed lips and over all structured features that weren't quite chiseled but more softly angled.

"Oh?" Violet eyes scanned the delicate features of the brunet's pale face for any trace of misgivings. Finding none, he questioned, "What happened?"

Stormy gray eyes searched the plain brown rug for a moment. "Nothing," he answered.

"Come on darlin', don't stop elaborating on me now."

Squall didn't object to the nickname, knowing full well that it was common in the cowboy's vocabulary. "Nothing happened. I never dealt with it because Seifer took care of it. I'd heard rumors that Seifer had staked a claim on me, that only he could beat me up. Apparently, he'd beaten up a few upperclassmen to prove that point."

Confused for the briefest moment, Irvine studied the pretty boy before him. It was an interesting story, but it did nothing to win his favor for the knight. "He's still an asshole," he declared.

"Seifer is many things," Squall indirectly agreed. Seeing a fierce hatred in Irvine's eyes, he continued, "He's also surprisingly considerate, gentle, patient, lov-"

Irvine quickly held a hand up to cut Squall off. He didn't need to be hearing this. "Somehow I doubt he's any of those." While he wanted to point out that Seifer was not anywhere near gentle when he'd seen them that morning, he held his tongue.

"Rinoa left, and you were falling apart," Irvine said abruptly, taking over the conversation to spare his ears from hearing Seifer's praises. "Then Seifer returns and you're all over him. Tell me how that isn't a classic rebound."

Only certain of it for the first time right then, Squall replied, "Because I never loved Rinoa."

Irvine's eyes widened. This was news to him. "But you love Seifer?"

"Yes" It was almost becoming second nature to affirm such a question. He wasn't sure whether if that was good.

"Do you even know what love is?" Irvine spat with contempt. He immediately regretted it, seeing a rather extreme reaction of pain in bright storm colored eyes. He hadn't meant to say it.

Squall blinked, his eyes effectively guarded once more. "Am I that cold to you all?" he questioned. Though his voice held no hurt, it was implied by his words.

"Squall," the gunman placated, "I didn't mean it like that."

Scoffing, Squall waved the longhaired cowboy off, "It doesn't matter."

"It does," Irvine spoke rather forcefully.

"Irvine, I'm not completely oblivious. I might not have known that you liked me, but I do know that you guys wish I opened up more."

"No, we like you how you are."

"Right, and the attempts to take me out partying aren't your way of turning me into some social butterfly."

"That was Selph's idea."

"You all collaborated," the brunet accused, remembering several occasions when they'd all attempted to drag him away from work to go out for a drink.

"I didn't mean it," Irvine stated again, returning to the matter at hand.

Squall practically cracked the bullet between his teeth as he prepared to bare all and tell all. There was no possible way he could get used to this shit, it was embarrassing and taxing. "If you hear something enough times, you start to believe it," he stated seriously. "I've always been the Ice Prince."

"Squall, that's a joke."

"I know, but that doesn't mean it's not born from some truth." He paused in reflection, drawing upon his feelings from past times to give his current words support, "Love is not something I take lightly. Did you know that I haven't once told Laguna that I love him? I've been trying to for weeks, but I can't say it until I'm absolutely positive it's true."

A wave of heat ran up to Irvine's neck. The atmosphere felt suddenly heavy.

With great reluctance, Squall went so far as to admit a darker secret, "I haven't told Ellone I loved her since she left the orphanage. And I don't have a single memory of ever telling Matron I loved her."

Deeply frowning, Irvine thought back with intense focus. It was impossible for such a thing to be true. Surely that wasn't the case. He tried to dredge up a memory of little Squally running into Matron's arms and telling her how much he loved her. He couldn't picture it, because in truth, it hadn't ever transpired.

"Rinoa wouldn't let it go, she always needed to hear me say it. I figured it was fine since I was her knight, which meant I must have loved her. But, I never felt it."

"You were sick with worry when she left," Irvine pointed out.

"Because she was important to me, like all of you are."

There was a warm stirring within the gunman at this declaration. His pride swelled at knowing he was automatically included in the scarce few who were _important_ to Commander Leonhart, who the Ice Prince cared about. But, it wasn't enough. He wanted more, he wanted Squall to love him.

"I was scared that she was hurt, but more so that if I didn't find her, then there truly would be no one in my life that I loved."

"But you didn't love her."

"I never knew the difference between saying it and feeling it," Squall explained rather easily.

"So, a man tries to destroy the world, and that melts your heart?" Now he was just jabbing Squall, making it difficult. But, why shouldn't it be difficult for the brunet if he was struggling also. He was simultaneously absorbing every word spoken through enticing lips and fighting his more carnal urges. It was near impossible to concentrate while aroused, not to mention nearly bursting with a million other emotions that had been building over the weeks.

Squall remained silent, tossing the other man's meaning around. With a whimsical smile that caused violet eyes to widen and the gunman to shift straighter, Squall raised his eyes to meet Irvine's. It was impossible to hide the magnitude of pain he felt at the mere remembrance of the dream Shiva had given him. His eyes bore into Irvine's. He was overwhelmed by the coldness that sank into his heart, the oppressive pain of being alone that crushed his chest and stole the air from his lungs. There was no denying how horrible it felt to imagine losing Seifer. The stupid, arrogant knight had always been there, and without the blond, he was lost.

Irvine was rendered thoughtless and motionless. Why was Squall looking at him like that? Was he hurt? What was wrong? Hyne, what was wrong? His heart raced and he feared that the world was about to end any moment, for there was no plausible reasoning for such an anguished expression. It wasn't even an expression, for pale features remained impassive. It was just Squall's eyes. There was an unmistakable sadness in those big blue-gray eyes. All was conveyed in those eyes.

"It hurts when he isn't here," Squall spoke quietly, his voice hushed and level, but full of emotion all the same. Speaking straight from the heart, he conveyed how he felt in that moment when he thought the abrasive man was dying, when he was in denial over the fact that Seifer's body was only warm because he was curled up against it. "It's heavy, like being crushed. My heart wouldn't beat right, like the blood was too thick and it was too much work, like it wanted to stop. I think it did, I think being without him is like telling my body to give up because it's better off dying… than going on alone."

Irvine could practically feel Squall's words, but his mind was too occupied with worry over whether the brunet was describing how it had been during the time after the war. Had Squall been feeling this way that whole time?

"You were never alone," Irvine declared. Swiftly sweeping forward, he grabbed the brunet unawares. Pulling Squall's smaller frame against his own, he hugged the Commander. "You're not alone," he whispered, burying his face against the shorter boy's dark mop of hair.

Squall stiffened and tried to pull back. Not wanting to resort to hitting Irvine again, he didn't struggle further when the grip didn't relent.

"I'm right here Squall. Let me be with you."

Squall bristled again. The pained feeling of Shiva's vivid dream had ebbed away upon being shocked from internal focus. "Don't you understand?" he questioned in a muffled voice against the gunman's plum purpled shirt beneath the long trench coat. "I'm alone without Seifer."

"You have us," Irvine affirmed harshly, squeezing tighter.

"But I need him!" Squall cried out, his voice stifled enough to not create a commotion from anyone who might be ambling close enough outside the shooting range's door in the Training Center.

"Why!" Irvine yelled right back, his hands taking clenched fistfuls of Squall's shirt.

"Because he's the only one I love, dammit!" Squall shot back. Being blunt wasn't enough. "Because I can't fucking breath right without him!"

"But why him?" Irvine half sobbed against Squall's hair. He wasn't crying, but he was hurting all the same.

"I don't know," Squall admitted, lowering his voice because Irvine had.

"If you don't know, then what's to say it couldn't be me?"

Going lax in Irvine's intrusive and unwanted hold, Squall accused, "Because you want me for a one night stand. You'll play with me for all of two seconds, just like every other woman you've ever seduced, and then you'll be done. The only reason you're suffering is because it's taking longer to get me to spread my legs. I'm a fucking toy truck to you Irvine, but Seifer would never think so little of me."

"That's not true," Irvine said roughly, gripping Squall all the more fiercely.

"It is. You want one last good conquest before finally settling down. That's why it's now, why you never liked me before. You're ready to be with Selphie, but not before one final bang. Suddenly I'm with Seifer, and you see that gender isn't an issue and that I'd be quite the trophy."

"Stop it," the gunman urged, not wanting to hear anymore.

Squall was almost to the point of having the air squeezed out of him, but he stubbornly continued. "Open your eyes for Hyne's sake Kinneas. Stop thinking with your dick and start using your head."

"I'm not so blind Squall," Irvine said, choosing to attack the brunet in turn. "You've never noticed how people look at you. Do you know how much I want you right now? You're beautiful. Seifer sees that, he's the one who just wants to get in your pants."

"Irvine," Squall warned, pushing once more against the gunman's chest.

"You like it," he pressed, all danger forgotten in his fogged up judgment. Lowering an arm, he brashly grabbed the Commander's butt. "You like it when he fucks you. That's all it is."

"No!" Squall stated harshly, practically growling the word out. "I came here to set the record straight."

"You came here to tease me. You know how much I like you, and you parade it around." Now he was the one with misdirected feelings, taking out his pent up anger at Seifer on Squall. He knew it, yet he couldn't stop himself.

"Let go of me, I don't want to hurt you."

"Would you punch me again? Would you pull that dagger out that you have hidden somewhere?"

With cold anger, Squall tensely shifted his arms, barely able to gain the mere inches he required. His fingers dug harshly beneath the gunman's ribs. The hold was relented and he stepped away. He wouldn't throw any punches, but he felt entirely out of options since there was nothing more he could say that would make Irvine understand.

Irvine followed Squall's movement, the brunet backing against the wall. "You love him, but you care about me? Show me that you care, show me what our friendship means to you."

It must have been the guilt Irvine detected from the beginning, knowing Squall felt bad about something as trivial as a black eye. Squall was an odd person, becoming stubborn about the oddest of things. If the Commander had decided not to throw any more punches, then he could probably do a hell of a lot more to the smaller man before he actually pushed the brunet far enough to break that personal oath.

With that in mind, Irvine looked down the barrel of a cocked gun and aggressively continued. "Show me!" he ordered while stooping to kiss Squall.

Headstrong, Squall refused to physically hurt Irvine. He could break away and simply leave, but he hadn't quite given up on making the cowboy understand and drop the infatuation. Instead, he remained in place, but turned his head away from the unwanted kiss. "Stop it," he ordered.

"Just how far are you willing to go to settle this? If this is just me looking for a final fling, then why not just give it to me and we can all return to our happy lives?"

"Stop it," Squall repeated, unsure how he could elaborate the order to make it clearer.

"Show me how much you care for me Squall. I'm your friend, and I need you right now."

Squall grit his teeth, willing some sanity into the obviously upset and apparently drunk gunman.

Regardless of Squall's turned head, Irvine pressed forward, laying his body against Squall's. Leaning down, he pressed his lips to the bared throat.

"Dammit," the brunet cursed, bringing his hands up to the cowboy's shoulders to shove him off.

Irvine didn't even need to see the movement to react in kind, grabbing the bony wrists and pressing them back.

"Irvine, I swear, you don't want to push me."

"No," he agreed, letting go of one of the hands to knock his hat off. "I don't want to push you, I want to fuck you."

Squall cringed at his own ineptitude in dealing with this. It was one thing if Irvine was crossing the line without feelings involved, but this sort of stuff was always tricky.

"You gonna bed Quistis after me?" Squall questioned, straining his head further away as Irvine's lips sought out his own.

With great reluctance, Squall played his final card. It was his most harmful one, probably not any better than opting for violence. "Maybe you'd like to drug me up and chain me to a bed? I know some good places in Dollet."

The effect was immediate. Irvine practically jumped back, eyes wide with horror. Bowing his head in shame, he pressed his fists against his forehead in an attempt to compensate for his lack of excuses at the moment.

Squall turned away also, staring resolutely out at the target wall. "I'll forget it happened," he offered as an easy out.

"Hyne, Squall," Irvine's voice cracked. Stumbling back, he collided with the wall and sank to the floor. "I'm sorry, I'm so sorry."

Trusting that Irvine was far from feeling any lust at the moment, Squall knelt before him. "I care enough to stop you when you're doing something stupid. You're nothing like Epson though, I just didn't know what else to say."

Shaking his head frantically, Irvine disagreed. "No, I'm just like that sick bastard."

Squall scoffed at the idea. "You're not even close."

Violet eyes searched Squall's desperately, pleading for some solution to be found. Instinctively, Irvine reached a hand out, but retracted it in fear that he'd lose himself.

Squall recalled a similar action done by his father, when Laguna felt the need to hug him but held back on his account. It was nothing more than a comfort, something even Squall could understand.

At a loss for what else he could say or do to help Irvine, or at least make the gunman realize he might as well try courting an iceberg, Squall shifted closer. Reaching out, he drew a surprised gunman against his chest and offered another easy out. After a moment, Irvine returned the hug, assured that it was okay, that Squall wasn't permanently scarred by his touch.

"I'm sorry," he whispered.

"You realize that you're so upset because of how much this is hurting Selphie, right? Doesn't that tell you anything about who you love most?"

Irvine listened impassively. He must have fallen very far to be receiving advice from Squall on this matter. It was pathetic, but he could live with it so long as no one else found out.

Squall sighed, growing increasingly uncomfortable with the fact that he was giving solace to another person by hugging them. It was just weird and didn't fit. All the same, he wasn't about to up and leave Irvine after what just happened.

"I won't turn you away. You've always been a lecher, but I stayed your friend. Seifer being here doesn't change that. I care, but this is probably the only time you'll ever hear me admit it."

"Ice Prince," Irvine mumbled, against Squall's chest. He was selfishly enjoying every second of it, knowing that this was a once in a lifetime opportunity to wring the Commander dry of affection. Squall didn't so much as offer a pat on the back, let alone partition from sexual assault, hugs, and words of length or warmth.

"I'm not what you want," the brunet affirmed solidly. "I'd never let you touch me in public, which you seem to have an affinity for, and I'd be just as cold to you in bed as I am any other time."

Irvine found little humor in the attempted joke. He knew for a fact that Squall warmed up quite nicely in bed, but maybe that was another point the brunet was trying to make. Maybe Squall was telling him that if they became involved, he would actually be an Ice Prince even during sex. Such thoughts made him shutter.

After several minutes, which included Squall asking if Irvine was quite finished and Irvine responding with an affectionate squeeze to the smaller boy's lithe torso, the two separated. Squall rolled his eyes while straitening his shirt, whereas Irvine beamed. It was a forced smile, but it seemed to have hope for becoming something more.

"Who knew the Commander was such a softy? And, he talks so much, I barely got a word in edge wise."

"Shut it Kinneas."

"I won't tell if you don't," he suggested, trying to hide his actual want for seriously making such a deal.

"No one has to know," Squall said a little too hastily, obviously preferring no one find out.

It was blatantly obvious that their little discussion produced no solutions. Irvine was not miraculously cured of his attraction to Squall, and the brunet knew this. But, the air between them was decidedly cleaner.

While Irvine was almost certain his dreams would still involve a wanton Commander sneaking into his bedroom, he grudgingly admitted that regardless of what might really be going on between Squall and Seifer, the stormy eyed and practical young man was serious about it. He had a lot to think about, and needed time to digest it.

Squall self-consciously ran a hand through his messy strands of hair, not really needing to straighten them. It was awkward. Actually, it had always been awkward, but at other moments he'd been too preoccupied to notice.

"I suggest you practice some more, you're losing your touch," the Commander spoke with goading calmness and gestured towards the missed hits. "After the holidays, I'd planned on sending you on a mission to the D-district prison, but I have no need for a marksmen with bad aim."

"Watch it Commander, or Exeter will give Lionheart a few new aerodynamic holes."

Squall gave a parting smirk. At the doorway, he looked back and bit his lip for a moment. Before he could question whether they were okay, Irvine retrieved his hat and gave a curt nod in answer.

Considering that no progress had been made, Irvine felt surprisingly calm again. His emotions weren't running rampant. Perhaps he'd just needed an outlet that didn't involve guns and target practice. Or perhaps his subconscious had already started to believe Squall's words. He still wanted to nail Squall, but it felt like it had at the very beginning of his attraction. It felt no different than if he were staring at a new cadet's butt and drooling.

He wondered about a lot of things. Aside from Squall's accusations about his own feelings, he was extremely curious about that moment of unguarded emotion within the Ice Prince. What was Squall so upset over? What had been running through that pretty little mind while talking about needing Seifer?

There was also the other matter of exacting revenge on Seifer. He wondered if assaulting Squall counted? Probably not, since the ex-knight would never find out.

TBC….

A/N I'm tired….

I need sleep now, it three in the morning, and I wrote the last five thousand words in one sitting. Well, my only concern is that while it's a long chapter, there is so much happening that it's all too quick. I mean, they go from happy to sad to angry to happy to sad, blah, blah, etc. I just wonder whether the emotions are too all over the place to flow right. And, yes, Squall was out of character, but it shouldn't count cause he was doing it to be a good friend. Anyway, please review. I've had a lot of constructive criticism lately that I've taken into account. Though, I guarantee you that however the characters come across is exactly how I intended, I still may be inclined to fix a few things if it doesn't sit well with the readers. (Seifer's still a big Meanie for what he did, but he'll make it up, don't worry.)


	12. Chapter 12

Chapter Twelve

All But Confirmed Suspicions

It was a bright day, sun filtering into the classroom while Seifer and Raijin filed the remaining folders and specifics for the press conference coming up. Seifer took it more seriously than Raijin would have anticipated, but considering there were going to be about fifty or more strangers waltzing in through Garden's gates, it was definitely a matter of security. The fact that Squall was going to in the same room as them, without him standing two feet away, was unsettling. Then again, Seifer wasn't sure if he was just being overly concerned after the Epson incident.

Behind the blond's back were rows of the cadet's desks, each panel powered off while not in use. It was nostalgic to be in a classroom again.

"Are we like done? I have a class soon, ya know?" Raijin complained with a groan to follow.

"Yes," Seifer answered, his tone carrying just as much impatience. It was a pain in the ass to research each person they were going to let in.

"You know, half of those reporters are still going to ask the wrong questions. And the ones you cut are gonna riot to get in. They're like impossible, ya know?"

"I'm not worried about keeping them out. It's not too difficult when they're armed with pens and we've got a fucking army in here," the blond returned. As for the questions they would be asking, Seifer was a firm believer in being allowed to whatever the hell he wanted whenever he wanted. Squall wouldn't be too keen on the idea of only letting in the press if they were certain to only print good things. In fact, the Commander might actually get angry over such a matter.

With a heavy sigh, Raijin uncrossed his legs and let them dropped from his desk. While he didn't care for etiquette, he figured it would be difficult to control a class of cadets not much younger than himself if he was caught lazing about. Though, truthfully, he was quite the good instructor. He had a feeling he was going to start going on more missions though, now that Seifer was back.

"So," the burly man said with ill concealed uncertainty, "How're you 'n Leonhart, ya know?"

"You can call him Squall, I won't bite your head off," Seifer replied with a roll of jade eyes. As opposed to his dark haired friend's composing gestures, he reclined further in his seat and rested his head against his hands. It was an open position, arms bent and elbows aloft, to show he was the type of man who kiss and told everyone willing to listen.

"I ain't talking 'bout what you do behind closed doors," Raijin assured with an dramatic shiver. He recalled all too well the sounds of his best buddy and Commander going at it.

"Then enlighten me," the blond urged with half interest. He shifted to hold a hand out and absently inspect his nails.

Sending a halfhearted glare towards the leader of their three-person posse, the brown skinned man admitted, "He's more than a Commander to us all man, come on."

"Quid pro quo, mon ami. How are you and Fu?" the blond questioned with a mischievous grin.

Raijin chuckled at the dodging interest Seifer showed. There were times when he observed similar characteristics in Seifer as he did in Squall. For all the blond's boastful nature, the arrogant man had yet to brag about sleeping with the Commander. Perhaps he was actually savoring the last vestiges of privacy before this Friday.

Complying with the ex-knight's demands, Raijin divulged the truth about himself and his silver haired counter part. "Fu's amazin' ya know? It's just casual for now. Nothin' serious, she says she's not ready to settle down with an oaf like me."

Seifer barked with laughter. "That's my girl."

"Hey, it's like totally obvious she's serious. Sex isn't good unless you like each other," Raijin stated with a blush.

"Yeah, well Princess and me are getting along just fine."

"Which is surprising when you're still callin' him Princess, ya know?" Raijin couldn't help but wonder if Seifer was brave enough to actually use the nickname in the presence of the sulky brunet.

With a mock pout, Seifer defended, "He loves all my pet names."

"I'm sure," the dark haired instructor commented wryly.

"You're oddly concerned about my love life here Raijin, what gives?" Seifer remarked with sudden seriousness.

Giving off an uncomfortable cough, Raijin shifted in his seat. Mindlessly delaying, he reached his hands out and started packing away the stacks of files. His desk was never organized, but Seifer didn't know that necessarily.

Jade eyes narrowed. "You realize I'm not leaving until you've told me," he said, his eyes watching the man's movements.

"It's like this, ya know?" Raijin began while still packing, "After this Friday, there won't be any going back or calling things off without any harm done. I mean, everyone in Garden's already talkin', and they got everyone else just waitin' to start talkin'."

"What's your point?" Seifer questioned evenly.

"It's gonna be a mess man, ya know? Zephlar and Trent are just itching to demote Squall. Fu knows more about this, she's always on the phone with Xu over in Trabia. No one's saying it, but we think it might be best to keep things quiet." His dark brown eyes were almost apologetic.

"So, I have Trepe telling me to warn Squall about this little conference. Now I have you saying that it'd be better to coach the boy in saying 'no comment'."

"That's not what I mean, ya know?" Raijin corrected immediately.

"It doesn't matter," Seifer dismissed lightly, "Squall will do whatever he wants, I'm not swaying him one way or the other."

"Trepe wanted to remind the Commander about what's coming up, and that while being in love is all fun and games, he has a Garden to think about. Are you two seriously about to 'come out'?" He gestured with his fingers to quote the last part.

For a thoughtful moment, stark green eyes stared at the blank screen just above Raijin's head. With a small nod, he conceded that the muscled fighter had a point. Before answering his friend, the blond lazily moved the chair he sat in away and scooted further down the desk. His eyes scoured the area around the projector. There really was no debate in his mind, though he would like to have a nice little discussion with Trepe. It pissed him off to think anyone would dare think Squall had any less consideration for being the Commander, Trepe of all people should not be losing confidence.

"Well," the knight started as though he were about to answer, "Do you have a marker or something in there?"

Raijin's eyebrows furrowed in confusion, but his hands automatically reached out to search the drawer on his side.

Before Raijin could question him, Seifer spoke, "Contrary to popular belief, what I tell Squall usually doesn't count for shit. I could tell him the sky is blue and he'd shake his head in that cute little pouting way. If I pushed the theory of the world being round, he'd lash out and call me stupid, and then probably bite his bottom lip." As an after thought, Seifer added, "It's damn sexy."

"Uh, Seifer," Raijin interrupted by waving a black sharpie at the tanned blond.

"Ah, thanks." Seifer said, taking the marker. Before he continued, he pushed the sleeves of his hazel gray sweater up his forearms. He leaned over, moving the pivoting lights out of his way and pulling the cap off his new mischief tool.

"The point is, that even if I tell my lovely lover," he lilted the new title, though there was a rather blatant undertone of mockery, "that I want the world to know, he'll do whatever he wants. Personally, I want every psycho fucker out there knowing that the Balamb Lion is off hands, and that the person they'd have to deal with isn't some manicured General's daughter who can't fight worth shit."

Raijin wasn't sure if Seifer was angry or not. The blond had perfected the art of speaking harshly without actually doing so. He cast a curious gaze towards the left end of his desk, watching as Seifer wrote directly on the opaque surface that would be lit up with an image to be fed through the camera and onto the large panel for every student to see. He was going to object, since the marker was permanent and the light was bright enough to shine through any paper he set on top of it, but he held his tongue.

"If I had my way, the world would know. But that's just cause I'm a possessive man." Seifer kept his eyes trained on what he was doing, pausing every so often to think. Finally, he grinned and quickly signed his name.

"You have to give him more credit," Seifer said evenly, leveling his friend with his eyes. Frowning, he corrected, "Naw, not you Raij. Tell Trepe to settle down. Squall doesn't drop the ball, ever." It was surprising to conclude that Raijin was more supportive of Squall than instructor Trepe. Then again, after returning, it had been quite obvious that Raijin and Fujin truly supported his former rival.

Raijin grumbled and scratched his spiky black hair. He didn't like being the messenger, but no one really wanted to approach the Commander. "It's only been a few weeks, ya know? I'm not doubting what's between you guys. Hyne knows I was there every time you were angry and spent all night talking about the Commander. 'Course now I know why, ya know?"

"You're asking me if I think it's just a quick fling that's not worth causing a ruckus over," Seifer questioned as more of a statement.

Raijin grinned in an unarming manner. "It sounds worse when you say it, ya know?"

"I told you before, I'm not playing games here."

"It's fast man. That Heartilly girl just left and you two hooked up after like a day of being back, ya know? It's just, everything about this is perfect to use against Leonhart. You know the garbage they're gonna throw at him, and that's if they don't demand you leave."

Seifer ran a hand over his face. He wondered how much time they had before the bell tolled and his burly friend had a room full of cadets to focus on. There were very few things that could run him off from hanging out with the people he liked, especially when there were very few of them in this world. Having to question his relationship with Squall was probably number one on the list of topics to send him running, since he couldn't throw punches and demand to drop it, not with Raijin.

"Galbadia and Trabia have no legal rights to demote anyone in Balamb, especially the Commander. If they spin it one way, we'll spin it another."

Raijin eyed him with patronizing disbelief.

"The messenger girl seems to have the most brains out of Squally boy's ring of do-gooders. She's got a group forming that's insanely obsessed about their Commander having a romantic liaison with the big bad sorceress knight. It's like the Trepies"

Raijin scoffed. "I think Commander Leonhart's the bad boy, ya know?"

Seifer glared. "That's my title and I worked hard to earn it." He warned the larger man with a swift cut of his hand through the air.

With a valiant effort, Raijin managed a whole three seconds of keeping a straight face before cracking with a smile and laughing. Seifer grinned immediately after. They both knew of his reputation in Garden and how he practically made a sport out of playing the villain. Those were good times, and it was sad that it felt so long ago.

"Well, that reputation is gone," Seifer complained, "I was tailed coming here by a four girl group of gigglers. They had the audacity to approach me. Can you believe that Raij? Me!"

Raijin shook his head in dismay, acting as though it were an utter disgrace. "How dare they even look at you, ya know?"

"Oh, they can look," Seifer assured with a smarmy grin, "I can't blame them for that. But not a single one of them was afraid of me. Since when does becoming involved with a sorceress make you a stuffed teddy bear?"

"Maybe being under Leonhart's command is so frightening, that you're like a pussy cat, ya know?"

"There goes my pride Raijin, thanks a lot." Seifer joked, but sobered up with his comment, "They don't fear Leonhart, they admire him. They trust him explicitly, which is exactly why it was okay to approach me. If Squall thinks I'm harmless enough to sleep under the same roof as him, then so do the rest of them."

"No one thinks you're harmless," Raijin pointed out seriously.

"Then they think I'm well behaved," the blond supplied in turn. "The point is that these kiddies would follow him off a cliff if he lead them. Being with me might make them question the height of the cliff, but they'll be jumping off just the same."

"I wouldn't follow him off a cliff," Raijin said defensively.

"That's cause you knew him as Puberty Boy."

Raijin laughed once more at all the amusing memories of a stoic brunet glaring daggers while his blond buddy shot wave after wave of insult. Every time that Puberty Boy name was whipped out, those steely cold eyes would gleam with a frightening fierceness. But, Seifer was never afraid, only highly amused. If it weren't for the ex-knight's confidence during those times, Raijin was almost certain the memories would serve as nightmares and not fond trips down memory lane. Leonhart had the eyes of a lion, and only Seifer seemed unaffected by it.

The ball rang, chimed rather, and Seifer stood up with a groan. Rubbing the back of his neck, he stretched with an audible crack. "Paper work is murder for fighters."

"I hope you're right Seifer. It could get ugly, ya know?" Raijin spoke solemnly.

"Every piss ant can go fuck themselves if they don't like it. I can tell you right now that they won't be angry cause I'm here, they'll be angry cause the pretty boy wonder swings both ways and they don't get a piece of the action."

Raijin waved him off with a grin. "Shut up before my students hear ya."

Seifer strode towards the door. He mumbled to himself, "It won't matter in a couple days."

Ten minutes later and Raijin was lecturing on the importance of the lesser used spells, which a good portion of the class had complained about being trivial the prior week.

He'd turned the projector on, needing to give it a minute to warm up and for the camera to focus.

When he'd glanced up and found several heads leaning sideways and many sets of confused faces, he frowned.

"Somethin' wrong?" he questioned after taking a pause.

"Instructor," one of the more studious cadets spoke up, "What does code twelve, section thirty-seven, line one-eighty-two of the SeeD Code of Conduct state?"

Before Raijin could question the relevance, he gave a perplexed look while trying to recall that particular part from memory. He was supposed to have that entire rulebook memorized, but everyone grew a touch rusty after a while.

"I believe that's section pertaining to conduct among fellow SeeD and superiors, ya know?" He blushed slightly when it started to come back more clearly. "Err, the bit that says no sleeping with instructors or having any romantic relations with the higher ups. O' course the same rules apply to SeeD of higher ranks, like no dating those under your command, ya know?"

Seeing blinking stares, Raijin became uneasy. With insecurity he thought back again, but concluded he was right. He hadn't spent a whole week of using flash cards for nothing.

"Ahh!" a bleach blond girl in the back cried out.

"Somethin' the matter Tracy?" Raijin asked, wondering if she'd seen a spider or something.

"No," she squeaked out, her feet tap dancing on the floor with excitement.

Scratching his head, Raijin figured she realized they were serving her favorite for lunch and couldn't wait for the period to end. Picking up where he'd left off, he was quite surprised when he turned to use the projector and saw the message his blond friend had left behind.

**_12:37:182_**

**_SeeD Code of Conduct_**

**_Add this to my record of broken rules_**

**_Seifer Almasy_**

Raijin had fumbled to turn the machine off. It was just his luck that half the cadets present had watched Seifer stroll from the room. Why did they wait outside his room, didn't they have other classes to be in?

Upon altering the curriculum for the day, he'd given them a study hall so as not to leave the wonderful little message up for viewing.

Tracy sat in the back, positively bursting with excitement. It was like a subtle but obvious confession that the handsome knight was having an affair with the Commander. Never mind that there was no plausible reason for the message itself, it was too juicy to matter.

* * *

Laguna, Seifer, Quistis, and Squall sat around the square table in the furthest corner of the cafeteria. 

While Squall continually pinched the bridge of his nose and sighed, Quistis asked him question after question. She was trying to prep him for the conference.

At first, Laguna had tried to give a helping hand, answering in a manner he would have done, but when Quistis had rejected his answers enough times, he'd stopped. Apparently honesty wasn't the way the Head Instructor wanted to go.

Instead, the longhaired president idly pushed the remnants of his Caesar salad around and cast glances at his son. Staring at Squall was interesting enough, but he felt kind of useless.

Seifer was also habitually staring at the attractive brunet, who he found casting glances at himself every so often. Each time, he'd smirk and elicit a classic eye roll. He was quite over come with lust when instead of smirking, he held the gaze and found that Squall blushed faintly. Was it too far fetched to think that the pale Commander was checking him just the same as he was doing?

"The best case scenario will be that they only ask about Rinoa," Quistis chided while adjusting her glasses.

"By now, she's probably already been interviewed. Why do I need to confirm it?"

The blonde instructor shook her head. "Rinoa hasn't gone to the press with anything. The only thing anyone knows is that she's living in Dollet and hasn't come to see you or vice versa since you were last spotted there during the missile incident."

Squall frowned, but gave a soft smile after a moment. It was nice to think that Rinoa didn't hold it against him. He had doubted her maturity on the matter, and actually wondered if she might leak the story just to spite him.

"Caraway's kid isn't _that_ stupid," Seifer interjected, not liking the smile that pulled bowed lips upwards when the topic was an ex-girlfriend. "It doesn't look too good when the two men you used to date, start dating each other." Wriggling his eyebrows he impressed his meaning more bluntly, "Rumors start and people wonder just how bad you must have been in the sack to turn two men gay."

Quistis snorted abruptly, holding a hand to her mouth in an effort not to laugh when Squall seemed rather unamused.

"Seifer," the instructor began while fighting the urge to smile, "This is why I must ask you not to be there."

"You're tripping Trepe, if you think I'm not going to be there."

She held a hand up and placated, "I'll be there, so there is no matter of safety."

Squall winced slightly. That wasn't what Seifer was getting at, but he wasn't about to correct his former teacher.

Jade eyes glared sardonically at the regal young woman. "It's called being supportive. Besides, I'm not some coward to hide behind closed doors while my boy toy defends me."

Seifer gave a yelped upon receiving a harsh kick to his shins. "Sorry," he apologized for the slip in the nickname.

"I can be there," Laguna suggested. If Squall needed support, he could do it. "I want to do it," he added enthusiastically.

Squall's lips parted to speak up, but pressed together upon second thought. Bright green eyes stared into his own, studying him. For a moment, he thought Seifer was going to tell him to speak his mind, but the blond didn't.

"He doesn't _need _support," the ex-knight stated, "But they're less likely to express their opinions about me when I'm standing right there. It'll be one less thing he has to deal with."

Squall chewed his bottom lip for a moment, studying Seifer's face openly. Cleanly shaven, he almost imagined he could pick up the scent of the blond's aftershave. Part of him wanted to trail his fingers through golden hair to dislodge it from its perfectly proper placing, combed back meticulously. It wasn't fair that Seifer's hair stayed in place so nicely when his was a bird's nest half the time. It wasn't until Quistis cleared her throat pointedly that he realized he'd been staring.

Blinking in response, Squall shook his head slightly and focused on the conversation.

Quistis eyed the brunet keenly. She couldn't help but wonder if the Commander's work would suffer for the obvious distraction Seifer presented. Squall was becoming so smitten that he was daring to express it without care or presence of mind. Staring with a love struck gaze was not something the rest of the cadets milling nearby would miss. And the fact that Seifer seemed to puff his chest out in recognition of the fact didn't help.

"Laguna," the blonde instructor directed her comment, "You're here on vacation. And, I don't think it would be wise to include you in this. It's fine for you to keep up relations with Balamb Garden and to not disown your son, but if you publicly give approval, it'll just create unnecessary trouble."

Hazel green eyes blinked in depressed manner. With a weak nod, the raven-haired man agreed.

Seifer nudged Squall beneath the table, tapping his foot against the brunet's.

Squall's brows rose in question.

With a barely perceptible jerk, Seifer gestured to the downcast president.

Taking the hint, Squall said quietly, "It means a lot though."

"Really?" Laguna questioned immediately, head raised once more.

At the insistent tapping of the knight's foot, Squall nodded and added, "It's why I wanted you here."

With the scraping of his chair, Laguna was on his son in a heartbeat. Hugging the young man warmly, he was oblivious to the sudden quiet that seemed to have fallen over the room.

Squall tried to relax. He wondered it practice made perfect in such instances, or if he'd ever become accustomed to such contact. It was certainly not awkward with Seifer, but still seemed foreign with everyone else.

"Careful Loire, I might get jealous," Seifer quipped, his eyes raking the entrapped brunet with none too concealed jealousy.

Blushing furiously, Laguna broke away and tucked a few long strands that escaped his hair band behind his ears. Taking his seat once more, the older man suddenly became aware that half the room was stealing glances at their table.

Quistis smiled brightly, always happy to see progress between the father and son. Still, they were far from seeming to have that particular air about them that hinted at their relation.

"Hiya!" a cheerful cry called from half way across the large dinging hall.

Selphie came abounding closer, tray in hand. Each person she passed seemed to tense up, her careless manner of skipping along just asking for an accident involving the loaded tray of food.

Seifer watched, wondering at the odd gleam to the copper haired woman's green eyes. She seemed almost too enthusiastic, causing him to tense before she approached. He had a sneaking suspicion about her actions, perceiving a little too much bounce in her steps.

Grinning broadly, Selphie didn't show any sign of slowing down when she neared them.

The blond knight was torn between standing up simply because he sensed something was coming and remaining seated because there was nothing to really call for caution.

Wearing her usual yellow jumper and brown sued boots, the happy young woman began giggling. Without warning, he feet tangled. Only a few feet away, she careened forward rather dramatically, her ham and cheese melt along with a piping hot cup of tomato soup sliding off the air born tray.

Seifer had stood up quickly, watching in dismay as Squall attempted to move out of the way, but was inevitably splattered with the mess.

Selphie wound up on her knees, plopping down onto her butt as she watched the mayhem ensue. Seifer moved past her line of vision faster than she thought possible, moving behind Quistis and confronting poor Squally.

Squall winced at the scalding feel of hot soup, the container not actually spilling until it made contact with him and the lid popped off. His shirt was covered, but he managed to stand quickly enough that it dripped to the floor and not his lap.

Before any words could be spoken, be they apologetic or cursing, Squall's head disappeared momentarily in a blur of navy blue material.

The brunet jerked back, affronted at the feel of his exposed skin and the coolness it brought. Blushing, he forced himself not to let his eyes wander any further than where Seifer stood before him.

Though the tall knight had practically ripped the shirt off Squall, he'd taken are not to let the hot liquid rub against that pale face. He understood all too well what Tilmitt was up to, but he felt more sympathetic to an unsuspecting Squall at the moment than anything. Turning, he chucked the messed garment at the messenger girl's head, effectively ridding her of her amused grin.

In shocked silence, the whole of the cafeteria watched the aftermath of Selphie Tilmitt dumping her food all over the Commander. Eyes widened further when a concerned ex-knight leapt around the table and tore the impassive Ice Prince's shirt off. There were a few creaking chairs as many tried to peer around the tanned knight's broad form, desperate to sneak a peak at a shirtless Commander.

All too soon, the ex-knight peeled his own sweater off his back, wearing a white under t-shirt, and held it out for the brunet to put on.

A couple clusters of cadet's broke out in giggles and hushed whispers as Commander Leonhart promptly shrugged in to the offered sweater. It was far too big, but somehow fitting.

"You burned?" Seifer questioned, his baritone voice drifting to nearby ears over the silence.

"No," Squall mumbled, heat rising to his cheeks as his eyes strayed from the concerned blond and realized the entire room was staring.

Seifer reached a hand out and ruffled soft locks, rather surprised when Squall didn't reject the openly affectionate touch.

After a moment, Seifer forced his hand away when he realized he was about to stroke the shorter man's cheek. Turning, he glared at a less than guilty looking Tilmitt.

Selphie cast an apologetic gaze to the Commander. "Oopsies!" she spoke and stuck her tongue out.

Seifer pinched the bridge of his nose, a gesture he decided he'd caught from Squall like a cold. Grumbling, he reached back and grasped Squall's wrist, his sweater spilling over lax hands with excess material.

"Come on," he whispered, "Let them talk it up, we don't have to listen for it to happen."

"Hey, my lunch!" Selphie complained after a moment, realizing she'd just lost her food. It was one of several faults in her plan that she'd over looked.

"Buy another Tilmitt," Seifer shot her down, "And wash that shirt, since your genius is what dirtied it."

With a mock sniff, Selphie clambered back to her feet and pat her jumper. "You guys staying?" she questioned Laguna and Quistis.

"Sure," Laguna agreed.

"This is why we keep you away from explosives," Quistis chastised, but settled back in her seat to keep Selphie company.

"I'll just be a second," the copper haired girl assured.

Crystal blue eyes widened. "Take your time!" the Head Instructor called out to the younger girl's retreating form.

Squall had all but given up on the idea of discrepancy at that point, following a step behind the ex-knight as they walked from the cafeteria together. He wanted to be angry with Seifer, acting brashly like that, but he couldn't. He supposed it was probably a good thing, since in truth, getting upset over such a matter was actually rather childish.

More and more, the idea of leaving this all behind was popping into the brunet's head. It wasn't like there was added pressure or that being the Commander was suddenly too much. But, his priorities had been suddenly rearranged and things were just different now.

With his eyes trained on the floor, Squall let his mind host the idea of living a different life… with Seifer.

TBC…

A/N Oh my, did I just totally throw a monkey wrench in there? I think I did. Hahahaha! Anyway, thank you all for the awesome reviews and support. Many of you have been wondering about when our dear Commander truly gets to be seme. In the previous story, I hadn't really considered it an option, since I was usually totally turned off by what I'd read with such a pairing. However, with this story, I am considering it. I'm really not too keen on the idea. In my experience, people are more prone to a single role in a relationship. I'm not calling Squall a girl or anything, far from it, I'm just saying that I think I've done a far job of writing him as the type of person who enjoys taking it from Seifer more than anything. I know that it's also common to lean both ways, constantly switching it up... but with this particular pairing, I just find it hard to see Squall being seme, or rather Seifer being uke. Anyway, I'm thinking on it. If anything, I'll address the issue in the story at least.


	13. Chapter 13

Chapter Thirteen

Just Another Day at the Office

Squall sighed heavily. Rubbing his eyes he felt the sting of his dryness being washed away by tears. With no one to watch, he lowered his head to rest on folded arms and kept his eyes closed for a few moments extra.

Dollet was claiming damages from the missile. Not wanting Esthar to get involved, Balamb had taken the rap. Though far from losing funding to keep Garden running, times were not good. With little confrontation there were very few opportunities and requests for SeeD.

It didn't help that Galbadia's new Commander Zephlar had taken a particular disliking to him in recent weeks. He'd waited too long to defend Seifer's presence at Balamb Garden. Zephlar and Martine were both slowly backing out of their end in rebuilding Trabia. The northern-stationed Garden that had been tragically decimated was nearly finished. It had been the combined effort of both remaining Gardens that made it possible to research ancient technology and create a new version that was just as capable as the old.

Now, Balamb was carrying the brunt of the weight. It was a personal attack, a slap in the face, a challenge. Galbadia wanted him to fail miserably, even if it meant making his job twice as hard in order to instigate his downfall.

He'd become too personal in his work, which was proving to supply enough ammo to outshine whatever good graces he'd fallen into by assisting in saving the world. He couldn't stand to slow work in Trabia, since it was Selphie's Christmas present. He couldn't tell Dollet's recently elected governor about his involvement and the truth behind the missile attack for his own sake and that of his father's.

Regardless of all Quistis' words of advice, he wondered if simply laying it all out on the table would be best. It was not his usual approach, especially when he still felt it was nobody's right to be informed on his personal life.

Perhaps this was why he was so confused about where to draw the line between friend and colleague, between work and play.

If reporters were supposed to know who he was having sex with and how often, even though it had absolutely no relevance to being Commander or Headmaster, then how was he to know where the line was drawn. Never having friends before was making it all rather fuzzy. Should he address Quistis as instructor Trepe? Should he call Zell by his last name during office hours? It wasn't as though he'd had formal training for this. One day Headmaster Cid had ducked out and named him Commander.

All the menial formalities were making peacetime more difficult than war. With no confrontation to focus on, all eyes turned towards far less appropriate matters. Aside from that, what sort of mercenary facility condoned anything relating to public access? It was Norg's doing no doubt, but why had Galbadia and Trabia followed suit and made it a necessary factor?

Hyne, he'd asked himself the same questions nearly every day, and it usually boiled down to sheer frustration and hair tugging. Needless to say, he wound up with messy strands of dark brown hair and the beginnings of a migraine.

Headaches which were attributed to malnourishment, exhaustion, and stress. That had been Kadowaki's diagnosis anyway. He'd been used to receiving migraines on a daily basis before the war had ended and continuing after. The last few weeks had been free of painful hammering going on in his brain, which was something he'd taken completely for granted.

"Sir," called his secretary's voice over the intercom.

Taking a deep breath, he sat up straight before reaching a hand out to press the little gray button on the system. "Yes?" he questioned without emotion.

"Aww, you're just darling aren't you?" cooed the older woman's voice.

Squall shot an affronted glare at the black speaker on the phone. He bit his lip as he tried to remember the woman's name. Seifer knew it. It was Meyer or Mayor. He'd take a guess, "Ms. Mayor?" he questioned incredulously.

"Oh!" came a startled gasp, "I'm so sorry sir! It's your cat. Instructor Trepe dropped some files off for you and left, um, Gabriel here to see you."

Squall couldn't help a small smile at the image of Gabriel riding up in the elevator. Standing up, he decided that even twenty steps of pacing from his desk to the secretary's were slightly relieving of the cramped and holed up feeling he had from being in the office so long.

Opening one of the double wooden doors, Squall found an entertained Gabriel pawing away at a keyboard. Once he came into view though, the black cat turned and sat patiently, perched on the corner of the mahogany desk.

"I'll take those files," he said stepping closer.

"Certainly," Alice replied, a little surprised that the Commander had come to retrieve them.

Simply glancing at all the files he received, they all looked the same. Though the pages held different words and pertained to entirely unrelated affairs, the piles of papers were clipped together and contained within the same manila folders. A stack of ten or so bound by a rubber band was the next days workload sent up by Quistis.

She knew him well enough to guess when he was nearly finished with what he had, a surprising talent on her part, or perhaps just an instructor's intuition.

"Thank you," the brunet replied absently.

Alice gave a soft smile behind the Commander's back. Though cold and unsociable, the young man never failed to thank her for everything. He even managed to finally learn her name, which she knew from rumor was a real accomplishment. Her smile widened as the slender boy gave a very subtle pat to his leg, effectively calling for the cat to follow.

Gabriel had been watching Squall's movements the whole time and leapt from his position to trot along into the Headmaster's office.

An hour later found Squall settling in on the couch in his office. He felt tired. It had been an early morning to once again do his part in the winter festival. The gourmet coffee had been a hit, more so each passing day when every cadet had heard about it. With cookies and pastries from the kitchens, they'd run out fairly quickly. He was actually considering the requests to make a permanent café within the cafeteria. Aside from Selphie's pleas to do so, if it became a luxury that came with a price, then there might be a decent chunk of money involved. He was considering whether or not to draw up a formal plan and discuss it with Quistis.

However, all that would be saved for after winter break, which started after next week. For now, it was Selphie's way of being everyone's favorite bouncy instructor. He supposed that getting up before the sun had risen was little consequence compared to someone like Zell, who was stuck decorating the stage in its final process of being completed.

Squall jolted back to reality as Gabriel jumped onto his stomach. "What do you want?" he mumbled with annoyance.

Yellow eyes just stared at him with interest, a black tail swishing back and forth while hitting his bent legs. He didn't usually take naps in his office. There had been times when he'd been ready to fall over and needed to catch a couple hours sleep, but nothing more.

Regardless of his general disapproval of sleeping out in the open, Squall shifted to his side, causing Gabriel to jump to the back of the couch. He doubted anyone would dare enter the office without informing him first, except Seifer.

As though blaming his decision to take a quick nap on some concession to the cat's request, he reached out and scratched Gabriel's head before motioning for him to join him.

He wondered if Rinoa even remembered the black fur ball. It had been her cat in the first place.

Gabriel slowly stepped from the Commander's hips down to the section of the leather couch in front of the lithe man's stomach. Squirming closer, the feline wound up purring against the man's chest while the brunet doted absent pets on his head.

Sunlight edged away along the floor. The blinds were open, creating the familiar horizontal slants. Gray-blue eyes watched the floor for a moment before closing.

It seemed like a few moments later when he was startled awake by the slamming of a door. Gabriel seemed to have been just as surprised, the hair on his tail spiked out.

"Some people like to close doors gently," Squall muttered darkly as he saw Seifer near the doorway looking rather angry.

Seifer glared fiercely at everything in sight until his gaze fell to sleepy eyed brunet. He immediately regretted his abrupt entrance and walked closer with an apologetic air. "Sorry, I didn't know you were sleeping."

"Any particular reason why you're upset?" the brunet questioned.

With a grin, Seifer assured, "I'm not upset."

Squall looked up at him sardonically. "Don't make me find the right word for it."

Kneeling down, the ex-knight reached out and grasped slim hips. Pulling the brunet forward more, he then ran his hands along slim thighs, squeezing slightly. When he touched the man's denim clad knees, he pushed them apart and sidled closer. "I'm not upset or angry or pissed off or…." He trailed off as he leaned close and pressed his lips against the brunet's pink ones. They were always warm and soft and especially pliant beneath his own.

Squall felt a wave of heat wash over him. It was soft at first, just their lips gently meshing. Like all their interactions, it never stayed gentle for long. Eagerly, he parted his lips and darted his tongue out.

Seifer met the searching tongue with his own, directing the tangling of tongues to retreat into Squall's mouth. He could never get enough of tasting Squall's mouth like this, there was an indefinable sweet taste that always seemed to be there.

The kiss carried on with lustful fervor, changing pace at times until Seifer sat on the couch with Squall in his lap. The knight's hands found their way up the brunet's plain white t-shirt, caressing warm flesh. Squall had his fingers twined in golden blond hair, anchoring himself in place while Seifer kept leaning forward to delve more deeply into his mouth.

When they finally drew apart, taking the time to catch their breath, Seifer admitted, "I was upset before, but now… not so much."

"I see," Squall commented, feeling exactly what it was Seifer was feeling at the moment. It wasn't agitation that was bulging in the knight's pants.

More than anything, the blond wanted to continue making out, but he had scarce self-control when it came to Squall. If he couldn't screw the brunet in the showers of the locker room, he was almost certain that the Headmaster's office was off limits.

With care for the aroused Commander's state, he drew Squall flush against his body. He could feel the brunet's erection against his abs, even through the younger man's pants and his grey shirt. His own arousal was no doubt poking the man from beneath.

"Were you tired?" Seifer asked while wrapping his arms around the brunet's slender torso.

"No," Squall lied, fidgeting slightly. His boots were uncomfortable when he tried to fold his legs in order to straddle the knight while also pressing their upright forms together.

"You're a bad liar," Seifer chastised. Running an arm down the man's back, he gave a firm grope to the Commander's ass before moving on. Reaching out, he fiddled with the strings on the brunet's boots for a bit.

Squall remained compliant, allowing Seifer to clumsily loosen the strings and pull the shoes off him. Once both had fallen to the floor, he scuttled impossible closer and settled against the warm body with comfort.

After leaving early that morning, Squall hadn't seen Seifer all day. He'd finally figured out that the knight was continuously dealing with preparations for tomorrow's press conference, doing anything that might help ease the ordeal.

Slipping his arms around the tanned man's neck, he relaxed into the hold that was more like a hug. No one would come in unannounced. The only exception was currently beneath him. Without embarrassment, Squall nuzzled the blond's neck and gave a very faint noise of approval over the scent of the man's aftershave.

"You're something else, you know that," Seifer stated with a possessive squeeze.

"Whatever," Squall mumbled with a sulking tone.

Rich laughter filled the room, jostling both their forms as Seifer's chest rumbled. "Lighten up Leonhart, it wasn't an insult."

They stayed like that for a while, slowing winding down as the day neared an end. Seifer might have been content, but he was still quite aroused. It wasn't difficult to determine that Squall was in a similar state. Still, it was satisfyingly pleasant to simply sit there.

Jade eyes wandered the empty office before spotting a black ball of fur with eyes. "Your cat's staring at me," Seifer grumbled after a few minutes of staring into yellow eyes. His own eyes were watering with the effort not to blink.

"Gabriel," Squall called out, his voice muffled against Seifer's neck, "stop picking on Seifer." The command was followed by amused chuckling, which Squall tried to hide valiantly.

Green eyes narrowed as the creature turned around and padded across the room towards the window. He felt the rare laughter that fluttered light vibrations against his chest.

"You think it's funny?" Seifer said, his voice reflecting the hint of amusement. A laughing Squall was one of the top ten greatest accomplishments in existence.

"Surprising," Squall corrected.

"Oh?" he intoned, sliding his hands to prod the brunet's ribs through the thin material of his cotton shirt.

"Yeah, surprising that you'd let a cat get the better of you."

While Seifer hadn't abused the various areas where Squall was most sensitive, he liked to exploit them subtly during sex. Now, he went straight for the ribs, immediately causing the brunet to jump and nearly start right off his lap.

"Stop," Squall hissed twisting away from the touch that tickled. When the blond persisted and he gave an involuntary gasp and laugh, he jerked away enough to slump to the side. Leaning further away, he fell onto the cushions and evaded the knight's grasping hands. "Jerk," he shot in what he hoped was a tone angry enough to stay the larger man's antics.

Seifer tutted as he turned to follow the escaping brunet. "You'll have to do better than that."

Though the smaller man sent an icy glare, he remained splayed out on the couch, not protesting as the ex-knight closed the distance he'd put between them. His right leg was still draped across Seifer's lap, but he let it slide to touch the floor as the blond eased over him.

Seifer glanced down. He swallowed thickly as all thoughts of tickling the brunet became replaced with far more lecherous ones. It wasn't as though he was an overly hormonal young man, just that Squall always looked so damn fuckable. His head was angled back slightly, so that his bright blue eyes seemed to gaze coyly beneath partially closed lids. Those dark lashes seemed too long for any man.

Squall was practically holding his breath while Seifer seemed to stop all movement and forget all previous intentions. He discovered a new meaning to an intense gaze. His body stirred as though being touched.

The ex-knight told himself to wait. It was a little after four, there was a good chance that he could convince Squall to duck out early.

Blue eyes searched green for a meaning behind the blond's staring. He thought he saw a mixture of lust and adoration, and it sent a shiver through his body. Releasing that breath he'd been holding, he felt the anticipation mount.

"Are you worried about tomorrow?" Seifer questions abruptly, the muscles in his jaw clenching noticeably.

Squall nearly shook his head just to express his uncertainty on whether he'd heard correctly.

"Are you having second thoughts?" the blond followed quickly.

"What?"

Seeing that the moment teetered on the edge of oblivion, Seifer swept down and captured bowed lips to ignite that flame again. When he felt the brunet's leg hitch higher and entangle with his own, he broke away. "We can keep it a secret, if we're careful."

Brows knit closely, Squall stared with slightly parted lips. "No," he said softly before reaching up and pulling Seifer back down.

Seifer grinned against the brunet's mouth. Pulling back again, he asked, "Does that mean we can do it in your office?"

Without actually slapping his forehead, Squall closed his eyes and gave an exasperated expression. "No," he groaned in response. Upon seeing hopeful green eyes, he added, "But there are other ways." He ran his hand along Seifer's chest and stomach before cupping the half hardened member trapped in dark blue jeans.

"And what other ways are you referring to?" the blond asked with a smirk.

"None, if I have to say it," Squall replied evenly.

"Why don't I propose an alternative, and if it's wrong, you can stop me." Placing a quick kiss to Squall's pout lips, the ex-knight languidly slid his body against the smaller brunet beneath. He came to a halt between the younger man's legs and pointedly stroked the crotch of the Commander's pants.

Tensing for a moment, Squall watched every movement the blond made. He could feel a knotted anticipation in his stomach. It grew as he heard the sound of his zipper being undone. He arched back as he felt Seifer reach in without hesitation and draw his hardening length out.

Squall tossed his head to the side as he felt the blond's tongue teasingly lick the head of his penis. He was torn between giving himself over completely and some other conflicting feeling at the back of his mind. When his eyes took sight of his empty office and the large double doors that were closed but not locked, he realized where his contingency came from.

"Seifer, the doors," the brunet said once he realized the problem.

"Relax," the blond returned without worry, "No one's gonna come in unannounced."

Squall felt like pointing out that Seifer had already done so, but the confident blond chose that moment to take his hardened member into his mouth. Arching once again, Squall scrunched his eyes shut and brought a fist up to bite on his knuckle and keep from crying out like he wanted to.

Seifer was the more unpracticed of the two at the act, but scarcely felt any doubts about whether Squall was enjoying it. For the first time, Seifer found himself mimicking what his younger counter part did.

Fingers digging into the armrest, Squall resisted the urge to fist blond strands instead. It was too much to not buck upwards into the wet heat that surrounded him. Hyne, he was falling apart. His teeth dug harshly into the skin of his knuckle.

With a firm grip, Seifer pressed slim hips down, keeping Squall in place while he sucked the brunet off. When he increased the tempo the lithe form writhed, forcing him to tighten his hold in order to keep the brunet in place.

Climax impending, Squall felt the pressure build several times, but Seifer would teasingly ease off. The blond kept up the cruel antics until he couldn't take it anymore. Removing his hand from his mouth, he gasped, "Sei-fer, p-please-ngh"

With such a request, Seifer could not deny the young man anything. Taking the leaking cock into his mouth entirely, he sucked and attempted a shallow swallow.

Hips pressed firmly against the cushions, Squall arched off the couch as he clenched up and released his seed in the ex-knight's mouth. His muscles tensed up until it was over.

For some reason, Squall felt short of breath and gasped while laying back down. Eyes closed, he felt slightly disoriented. Hyne, that was good.

Seifer grinned as he finished up and carefully tucked the brunet's softened member back into his pants. Deciding to take advantage of a hazy brained Commander, he crawled atop the smaller man and began kissing him. He was achingly hard, but was willing to wait until they returned to the apartment, so long as Squall walked in front of him.

While Squall was more than satisfied, he didn't want Seifer's ego growing any larger than it already was. "At least you've gotten better," he murmured against the knight's lips.

Seifer broke away to glare at the smirking brunet. "You're a brat, you know that?" He kissed the pretty boy again before adding, "I love you."

"I know," Squall replied, wrapping his arms around the blond's neck.

TBC…

A/N Kind of short and without much direction, but it's sort of like the calm before the storm. Well, it's finals week, so you'll have to excuse any length in updating. I'm beyond psyched at the amount of reviews I've been receiving, it's so awesome. The feedback has been wonderful and helpful. Thank you guys so much!


	14. Chapter 14

Warning: Explicit content and all that jazz.

Chapter Fourteen

Fulfilling a Need

Squall stood at the long table, only himself and Quistis were there, and forty or so other reporters. He'd grudgingly donned his uniform, deflating Seifer's plans on giving him another hickie, which the knight had gone ahead and done anyway.

The group was surprisingly more mild mannered than usual, almost as though they'd held some sort of etiquette briefing before hand and decided to kindly take turns asking questions so that the Commander didn't need to pick and choose.

It began all too quickly, and Squall didn't think it'd ever end soon enough.

"Commander, it is well known that Seifer Almasy has returned to Balamb Garden. Under what circumstances have you allowed this to happen?"

"He's my bodyguard," Squall admitted tersely, hating how it made him sound incapable.

"There are rumors of a threat against you, are you confirming this?"

"I don't see how Mr. Almasy being my bodyguard confirms anything," the brunet replied evenly. They were less than a couple minutes into this and he was ready to throttle every person in the room. Where was Laguna when he needed the man? He didn't even get any breaks between these questions.

With an icy glance down towards Quistis, Squall expressed his dislike for it all, wondering once more why it was necessary and why he needed to be partake in it.

"As a former sorceress' knight, would you allow him to become SeeD?"

Squall sighed and actually gave into the urge to pinch the bridge of his nose, openly showing his ill content with the event. If his decisions as Commander were going to be questioned by civilian reporters who knew nothing of being a mercenary, then why was he given any right to run Garden on his own in the first place? Why not make everyone an official member and let them all give suggestions on what he could do better?

"Mr. Almasy was pardoned of all war crimes. And I'm inclined to thinking that a person's past record has little relevance as a mercenary." He knew that was the wrong answer. Now there would be speculation of Seifer becoming SeeD.

"In your article, you make mention that while mercenary ideals are upheld to best of SeeDs ability, that it is futile to take the humanity out of the human. Commander Martine has refuted this argument publicly, what is your response to your senior's disapproval?"

Frowning, Squall tried to recall what article the reporter was talking about. It took him a moment, but he remembered writing a simple piece about the nature of mercenaries upon request of both Quistis and some university in Deling City. After writing the thing, he hadn't really paid attention to what anyone thought of it.

"I stand by my argument," he commented at length.

"Could you elaborate?" the same reporter followed up, his voice sounding more hopeful than brash.

Squall stared at the man for a moment, hesitating. He was reluctant to answer, but he eventually concluded that perhaps the rest of the conference would follow this topic's direction. "In my experience, which is no less reputable in comparison to Commander Martine's, SeeD do not emulate heartless fighters." He paused, wondering if such words could possibly be believed from someone like himself. To those who did not know him, his words probably sounded annoyingly hypocritical.

When the room seemed about to fall into chaotic flashes and questions again, he spoke further, "Being called an Ice Prince, does not mean you are one." His eyes roved over the dozens of men and women staring up at him. They all seemed to have expectant expressions, like he was supposed to be giving them something. It was frustrating that he didn't know what it was they wanted. "I'm not ashamed to admit that emotions have gotten the better of me at times, even while on assignment. Fighting without bias is what we strive for, but money cannot outweigh the humanity in all of us." He felt the pit of his stomach drop as he dared to publicly scrutinize Martine. "Surely, Commander Martine would not fight for a sorceress such as Ultimecia simply because she held the largest purse."

There was silence, and Squall knew even without that silence of slightly shocked expressions that he'd pretty much accepted the challenge Galbadia had been proposing. Where he had previously ignored all opinions and statements made about his role as Commander of Balamb, he now replied in turn. The political war would begin, which was just perfect considering what was still in store for the unsuspecting group.

To Squall's surprise, he found that Quistis was smiling in a near uncontrollable manner only a few seats away. At least she was happy, though he doubted it would last much longer.

The tense moment seemed to be forgotten once scribbling pens slowed and cameras started going off once more.

A hand rose in the back and a middle-aged woman stood to ask her question. "Rinoa Heartilly has been living in Dollet for the passed couple months. It is rumored that you have broken up. Can you confirm this?"

"Miss Heartily and myself have parted ways, yes." Squall wondered why it sounded so cold when he finally said it. However, at the wide-eyed response he received from the woman who'd asked him the question, he doubted his cold air was what she'd remember. Apparently, his giving an actual answer hadn't been anticipated.

Immediately, the room was directed towards his personal life. The bees flocked to honey.

"Sir, are you seeing anyone now?"

With contempt, Squall glared at the questioner. Couldn't they perhaps lead up to that question first? "I-" he faltered, dismayed that his every action was going to give him away. "I am seeing someone," he finally managed. Out of the corner of his eye he saw Quistis blanch so quickly she looked sickly.

For a moment, Squall thought the Head Instructor would stand and call an end to the conference. But the damage was already half done. If they didn't find out from him, they'd hound Rinoa until she spilled everything.

Suddenly all hands went up, vying to be the ones to ask the all-important question. The rush of sound filled the room, escalating to the point where he couldn't hear himself think.

"Commander!" they all seemed to shout at once.

For Squall, everything seemed to just slow to a crawl. At random, he gestured to a reporter in the front row. He swallowed nervously as the young man stood up with a smug look on his face.

Hyne, this was it. He felt rather sick, it was the nearest thing to suicide without physically killing himself. The reign of fire that the press and other Gardens would bring would never truly end.

It suddenly seemed like a smart idea to simply say 'no comment' or to tell reporters that it wasn't their business. That was when his eyes found _his_, Seifer's. In the back, surprisingly unnoticeable mingled in with everyone else. Those jade eyes held his for a moment. There was no expectancy in them, no pressure to lean one way or the other. It wasn't too late to save himself from a little grief. Yet, looking into Seifer's eyes he was reminded of why he'd come to his decision of being open in the first place. He wasn't going to sing the praises of his lover from every rooftop, but he also wasn't going to keep secret about the one person he truly loved.

"Can you tell us who you are involved with?" came the inevitable question.

Such interest in his personal affairs begged the question of whether most people thought his role as Commander was some elaborate joke. He was a fighter, he made a living by killing things and people. At what point did being a mercenary become a part of pop culture? Just because he'd aided in defeating Ultimecia could not have been the only reason.

Squall gave an almost imperceptible nod, which was returned by Seifer. "It isn't exactly a secret that Seifer Almasy and myself have known one another for many years now. He's here, acquitted of all crimes, to serve as my bodyguard and to be with me."

There was a collective double take, no one seemed to think they'd heard correctly or that they were drawing the right conclusions from his words.

"Sir, are you implying that you and Mr. Almasy are… _romantically _involved?"

It was almost amusing how disbelieving the reporters voice sounded. "Yes," Squall affirmed. The world would come to a halt over the outrageous news, not only for what the news was but because it had been released in the first place. Where he previously spouted a repetitive stream of 'no comments', he was now baring all without threat of immediate death to every listener.

He might as well have raised his arms up and cried out for the games to begin and told Martine to try and top that.

Before madness could break out and the reporters could grasp the gravity of the golden egg they'd been given, Quistis stood up and unceremoniously called an end to the conference. While they didn't usually go by time limits, the conferences lasted at least an hour, which was fifty minutes more than this one had gone on for.

Behind closed doors in the dignitary conference room where the real issues were discussed, the Head Instructor slapped her hand down on the shiny black table.

"Dammit," she cursed, "You could have a little more sense than to just blurt it out."

"There are only so many ways of saying it, it all boils down to the same message," Squall shot back.

"I thought we agreed that it would be best to wait a little longer-"

"I didn't agree to anything. The longer I waited the bigger a mess it would have become. And before you concern yourself with the press, I suggest you send notice to Commanders Zephlar and Trent and Headmaster Martine."

"Yes, they'll be thrilled," the blonde instructor exclaimed sarcastically.

Seifer entered from the other end of the room wearing black slacks, a plain white dress shirt and slightly crooked black tie. He also wore a rather smug grin.

As Quistis walked toward the arrogant blond knight, she stopped and jabbed her finger against his chest, consequently hurting herself, but not letting on to that fact. "You put him up to this didn't you."

"That was brilliant princess," Seifer said, looking right over Trepe's head and grinning at Squall. The brunet didn't seem too thrilled, but he was elated. "Where's your sense of adventure Trepe. Look at it like this, if you can keep things from going to hell after this, then there's nothing else that'll give you trouble in this world."

"Yeah, I'm ecstatic Seifer. We've got a homosexual Commander and the whole of Galbadia Garden wishing Squall would drop dead before he continues to run this place."

"Hey," Seifer bit out rather harshly, "Let the press print whatever shit they want, but I don't want to hear you repeating it in front of either of us. Besides, Squally-boy isn't gay, as you've previously been informed. I'm just too damn sexy for anyone to resist."

"You're too damn cocky," Quistis corrected, feeling a little sorry for speaking without thinking first. She shot an apologetic glance back towards Squall, but found the Commander staring at the floor in a sulking manner. "I'll go contact Galbadia, hopefully before anyone else does."

Squall gave an absent nod, suddenly feeling numb to what was happening. Before he could think of where his day went from there, strong hands clapped his shoulders, kneading them through the stiff material of his uniform.

"Let's get you out of these clothes," Seifer said, walking behind the smaller man.

Squall gave another absent nod, liking the prospect of discarding his scratchy and high collared jacket for something far more worn in, such as his fur collared bomber one. There was also the favorable prospect of what would happen in between taking his clothes off and putting another set on. There was only ever one time when he was able to forget about his responsibilities and problems, and that was when Seifer was fucking him raw.

"Will you fuck me?" Squall mumbled.

Seifer pulled the brunet back against his chest, wrapping his arms around the other's smaller frame. Leaning down, he nipped the pale boy's earlobe playfully before responding, "Of course, we've got all day if you like."

While Squall was more than appreciative of what Seifer intended, he had a slightly different idea in mind. He shook his head slightly before saying, "We can make love later, I want…" He wasn't entirely certain what he wanted. "I just want you inside me. I want it hard." He knew he should feel embarrassed at making such a request, but he would consider that later, after he'd gotten what he wanted.

"Oh," Seifer whispered knowingly, "You want me to screw you until you can't think or walk straight." He was a little dismayed, considering he'd been slowly progressing towards to more time consuming romps that weren't about the mere gratification of sex. But, Squall looked like he needed it.

* * *

There was no room for hesitancy or faltering guilt. When it came right down to it, Squall could handle it, and Seifer knew this without a doubt. After training and fighting with the sultry brunet, Seifer was the only person who knew exactly where Squall's limits were, perhaps even better than the younger man did.

So when the broad framed knight shoved his willing counter part up against the wall just inside their apartment, he didn't stop at the grunt rung from the brunet upon collision. Before the door had slid shut behind them, he had Squall pressed back and out of that stiff SeeD jacket without acknowledging that buttons should be undone first. He didn't even register the clacking noise as those brass buttons hit the tile and rolled away. Beneath the jacket was a black t-shirt, which he didn't bother taking off, since it gave him leverage to haul the brunet higher against the wall.

Throughout this fevered affair, Seifer's lips never left Squall's. It was gruff and demanding and quite possibly the most lust filled moment they'd shared.

The blond knight plunged his tongue deeper, tangling it with the panting Commander's. Lips were rouged with swelled bruising under the crushing manner they meshed their lips.

Sliding his knee between the brunet's legs, Seifer roughly gripped the other's slim waist and pulled him forward.

Mind fogged and consumed by the need for every touch and taste, Squall took the hint and wrapped his legs around Seifer's waist. The feel of supporting hands were at his back, slipping beneath his shirt and groping along his torso in heated trails.

Seifer pushed Squall to the brink, overwhelmed by his racing heart and dick that was throbbing without even being touched. The pale boy was at a loss, always falling short of breath first since Seifer was usually staging some of their best battles there. Seifer knew when to back off though, letting Squall toss his head back and gulp in air. He in turn directed his focus else where, the pale and slender neck begging to be sucked on and marked up.

"Seifer," Squall gasped as he became completely drunk with lust. Wrapping his arms about the ex-knight, he hitched higher and groaned at the hands that groped his ass to keep him balanced.

Seifer was beyond remembering why he ever wanted to take it slower. At that point, he couldn't get enough and he couldn't get it fast enough. He cursed the creator of clothes. There should be some law that decreed all people who looked as fucking hot as Squall should not be allowed to wear clothing.

There was a sense of déjà vu when Seifer recalled an image of their first kiss. It was against that very wall and he'd done it in much the same forceful manner as he was currently handling Squall. The pleasant difference was that instead of having to pin Squall's arms back from punching him, the brunet was wrapped around him with a hard on pressing against his stomach.

"Sweet Hyne," the blond muttered in disbelief. Given his track record, he must have done something saintly in another life to deserve this. Elegant fingers were twined in his hair, giving voice to the usually silent man's wants, encouraging him to go on and never stop.

In a blur of less than graceful movements, the pair frantically tore at each other's clothes. Squall actually wound up without pants before his boots were removed. And Seifer hadn't ever understood the necessity of being clearheaded when donning or discarding clothing, which was pointed out when his hands became stuck in his shirt cuffs. It was frustrating to try and grab hold of a lithe brunet who seemed amused by his predicament while too turned on to stay off him.

It was a wonder they managed to make it to the bedroom, at which point they found making it to the bed just as challenging as crossing the apartment flat.

Seifer was becoming more skilled with preparing Squall, perhaps a little too skilled. The brunet writhed against his fingers. An expression of concentration came over Squall, it was almost like the young man were in agony.

"Seifer, hurry, just put it in," Squall hissed through gritted teeth. If Seifer kept brushing over his prostate gland, he was going to come. It was an almost painful task to force his body to settle down and wait.

Any other time, Seifer would have ignored the sprawled minx's plea, he would have taken his time. But this first round was about what Squall wanted, and the brunet wanted it hard and fast.

Complying with Squall's words, Seifer kneeled between parted legs and coated his pulsing member. In one swift movement, he pushed inside of Squall. The brunet arched his head back and gripped the bedding beneath with white knuckles. With a curse, the blond took a few deep breaths to keep himself from coming on the spot.

Squall was taking similar breaths, his bare chest rising and falling while his head was pressed back into the bed and his eyes were scrunched shut. It was overwhelming. The pain was almost a welcome feeling that foretold of what was to follow and what exactly was going on. Seifer was buried inside him, he could feel that the knight was close, the heat was almost scorching and the fulfillment was beyond gratifying. The pain receded a bit, but he couldn't wait any longer.

Rocking against the ex-knight Squall felt himself filled just a little more as he pushed forward. The blond gave a husky groan. Seifer hands gripped his hips and raised him off the bed slightly before giving a good thrust.

"Aah," Squall's mouth fell open as the blond began.

Seifer was biting the inside of his mouth, straining not to come yet. It was so tight, gripping his length mercilessly. He knew there was no stopping the inevitable when he felt his balls clench and his cock twitch. He thrust faster and harder, unwrapping Squall's legs from his waist and gripping them behind the knee. Leaning down, he angled himself and drove against the brunet's sweet spot, wringing uninhibited moans from the blue-eyed sex demon.

"Seifer!" Squall cried, unable to vocalize anything coherent beyond the blond's name. With the ex-knight pounding into him, the sound of their joining coming from slapping bodies and the constant thumping of the mattress, the younger man was in mindless ecstasy. The feel of Seifer's cock thrusting in and out of him was maddening in the sheer pleasure it brought him.

Seifer's on edge predicament didn't matter, as Squall was coming seconds later, effectively sending him over the edge. As ribbons of sticky release splattered against the brunet's pale chest, he ejaculated his own seed inside of that tight hole, which was gripping him with each spasm of Squall's orgasm and drawing the very last spurt of cum out.

Both their bodies were tense. Squall arched back, waiting for his orgasm to end, not even registering that he'd climaxed without ever touching his penis. Seifer was buried deep within that consuming heat, also riding out his orgasm.

Panting and covered in a glistening sheen of sweat, the pair relaxed after their exertion of lustful sex. Seifer collapsed against the lithe form beneath him, releasing the brunet's legs to fall to the side. His mouth sought Squall's.

Though the frantic rush was over, their kiss was no less passionate. It was softer, less demanding, as they gently moved their lips together and tentatively slid their tongues against each other's.

Seifer lovingly ran his hands along the brunet's chest, moving them higher to let him prop his body up on his forearms while cupping Squall's delicate face. He didn't question what they did next, since Squall would follow his lead for the remainder of the day.

With every intention of taking a nap, Seifer drew away and pulled at the blanket and sheets. Neither of them spoke, simply moved about until they were beneath the covers. Blue eyes looked into green, but before the brunet could say anything, Seifer pressed his lips against Squall's forehead. The blond rest his head against the pillow before directing Squall's head against his chest. His arms were holding the brunet closely, guaranteeing that the Commander went nowhere.

The rest of the day would involve exactly what Seifer wanted. They'd stay in bed for most of the time, lazily entangled and making love until neither could be certain that the dark night was of the same day when they'd first started. And later, when they'd slept too much but still felt exhausted from their activities in between, they'd stay cooped up inside these walls that did not give them grief for their feelings toward one another. Seifer relished the idea of watching a movie with Squall curled against him on the couch.

TBC…

A/N Ok, so it was corny as hell, but at least I didn't have Squall saying something like 'I'll love you forever and ever, just don't stop'. The conference was short, I know. But, considering that world events are slow and Squall Leonhart is still such a big topic in pop culture, the questions were bound to get right down to who the Commander is seeing if not Rinoa. And, if any of you feel it could have been done differently, I'll direct you to reread Squall's words to Quistis after it happened. It all boils down to the same thing, and as much as Squall isn't the type to openly talk about it, he also isn't the type to beat around the bush once he decides he's going to tell. I totally agree that it isn't anyone's business and that it doesn't have any relevance to Squall being the Commander, but considering Seifer was Ultimecia's knight, there is a serious concern over whether manipulation or something dark might be going on behind the scenes that would make the Commander of a Garden fall in love…. or some such garbage.

Sorry for the long note, but I just felt there were a lot of things in this chapter that happened without much explaining behind the reasoning for it. The reviews you guys have given me are priceless, I cannot thank you enough!


	15. Chapter 15

Chapter Fifteen

Dressed to Impress

The day had been a hazy blur, one hour bleeding into the next. The darkened sky outside told Squall that it was night, but his body had become so deeply enthralled, with the constant touching and heavy veil of lust, that he'd lost all sense for anything that didn't relate to Seifer.

It wasn't the least bit like him to shrug off an entire day. In fact, given the circumstances it was probably an irresponsible decision. But for the first time in his life, he didn't care. He didn't care what the world would think or what the press would make of his statement. He didn't care how enraged Martine or Trent or Zephlar became.

He was almost certain that his apathy was fleeting. As if the next day, perhaps the second the clock struck midnight, it would all settle in again.

By the time he and Seifer had showered and lain down for the remainder of the night, Squall was exhausted. They were in Seifer's bed, having spent several hours in his own already. His hair was damp, but Seifer didn't seem to mind as he furled closely and used the ex-knight's toned chest as a pillow.

The warmth between them was never too much, always a comfortable heat that made it all the more pleasant.

Squall was surprised at his contentment to sleep so near Seifer. He couldn't remember what it felt like to sleep alone, to not have the knight's larger frame wrapped around him.

As calloused fingertips gently caressed his bare back, he shivered with a violent trill of pleasure. His body had come to expect so much more to follow, from as little as a puff a warm air against the nape of his neck, that caressing fingertips were likely to give him an erection. Every part of his body felt like an exposed nerve, sensitive beyond reason.

The brunet's state of responsive stirring did not go unnoticed. Seifer couldn't exactly grin impishly, as he was too surprised to register Squall's exact reaction. Curious, he laid his hand flat, running his palm along the soft skin and hardened muscle of the younger man's back.

After an entire day involving little else but making love, Squall was easily half asleep as soon as his head rest against the ex-knight's chest and heard the steady strum of the man's heart beat. Now, as that hand slid across his back, following the length of his spine, he felt trills trail the same path. It was not nearly as innocent as it should have been.

Arching with a soft groan, neither encouraging nor discouraging an escalation in the action, Squall raised his head to peer up into green eyes. A different shutter wracked his frame as he saw an overwhelming mixture of adoring love and carnal lust in those stark eyes.

It was with great effort that Squall shifted to place a chaste kiss on the blond's lips before settling back down and murmuring, "Sleep."

Jade eyes remained fixed for some time on the pale form tucked against him. He stilled his roving fingers, letting his arm cradle the brunet's form and possessively rest his hand against the narrow curve of Squall's shoulder.

If his affections and feelings for his long time rival grew any more, Seifer was certain he'd be in trouble. He didn't consider himself to be a jealous man, surely not unduly protective or possessive of what he considered his. However, more and more he found himself unwilling to move out of arm's reach, knowing exactly what thoughts went on behind the numerous eyes that followed the Commander.

There was little doubt of what his dreams would hold. Having broken their previous record, Seifer honestly couldn't put a number on the times he'd reached heart racing point of climax, usually while spilling his seed within the lithe form he held now.

It was truly a day never to be forgotten, even with every Guardian Force in existence junctioned. Every kiss, every touch, every time their eyes met and conveyed something their words could not.

Dinner had concluded with sex on the countertop, an overdue christening in Seifer's opinion. The short spat over checking the news had ended in more sex on the couch, after which they'd carried on in the bedroom.

Seifer swore he could still feel the brunet's smaller hands pressed against his own, palm-to-palm, their fingers twined, while he thrust slowly into the writhing body beneath. The teasingly slow paced foreplay had proved Squall to be a most impatient partner, reduced to whimpering pleading to get on with it. And Seifer, in his self-satisfying cruelty, had disregarded each moan and plea, and continued to lavish his touches and kisses all over the sultry brunet's immaculately sculpted body.

The highlight had been Squall's grudging consent to use a lubricant made slightly runny by the addition of a hi-potion. There was no guilt in the merciless manner he'd pounded into Squall. It was wonderous little trick that Squall had warmed up to rather quickly, taking advantage of the nearly painless manner they could screw each other in.

No day of lovemaking would be complete without trials of new positions and blunders. He'd been fool enough suggest he play bottom, to which his touch crazy sex kitten had readily agreed with an admittance of never really considering it before. Seifer couldn't say he hated it, not when it was basically sex with Squall, but it had not been the glorified experience the Commander made it out to be. According to Squall, who had indeed read every book in the library, the experience and sensitivity of any stimulation to the prostate gland was different for every male.

Seifer owed Squall's hypersensitivity to the fact that the brunet had previously been a virgin, receiving each touch with an increased feel of pleasure after years of starvation.

The blond wasn't admitting to being any less tolerant of pain than his former rival, but had there been no potion involved, he feared neither of them would have managed to finish. Squall had unwillingly expressed a feeling of loss, blushing at the admittance of basely enjoying cock up his ass.

A smile tugged the knight's lips upward at the remembrance of taking Squall up against a wall. Not just any wall, but the one near the main door, in honor of their first kiss. Seifer hadn't really thought it possible to pull off, but that was a benefit of his well-toned lover, the added strength to a frame that someone of his own physical standing found light.

More than once, he truly believed he'd died and was in some sort of heaven of his own construction. The only thing that had kept him grounded were the biting remarks made when he suggested a little kink, since his own heaven would definitely involve Squall and a whole lot of kinky shit with costumes and anything else he could try out.

He was quite proud of the many marks donning not only his pale counter part's body, but also his own as well. Squall had some fixation with the crook of his shoulder and neck. He figured it had something to do with the aftershave that his less than loquacious lion mentioned on occasion.

After so much shared between them, good and bad, he understood what it meant to wholly rely on another person. His childhood companion and important rival had become so much more. He could not imagine a life without Squall. Life without Squall wasn't even a concept he could grasp, his mind completely unable to fathom such a depressing existence. It wasn't even about the sprouting buds of hopeless romanticism and love. It was more a gut wrenching certainty that this fragile and strong creature in his arms was the most important aspect to his being.

There wasn't an exact moment that the former knight realized it, but it had been a recent revelation that his feelings for Squall, strong as they had become and continued to grow, held a danger. There was cause for caution when he was in a position that gave leeway for protecting the Commander. He'd never been much for rules, not unless he'd made them, which meant any guidelines the other Commanders set down for him to follow would not be upheld.

After Epson, he wouldn't consider any form of precaution overly protective, especially not after going public about their relationship. Truthfully, his role as Squall's bodyguard was obviously superficial to begin with. Quistis was more concerned about Squall's health, needing his pushy nature to cajole the Commander into revising that slave-labored agenda.

Now, however, he'd taken on a whole new regard for his initial return, determined to actually guard his official charge. He'd become as involved in Garden affairs as he deemed necessary, if he felt it presented any security risk. Screening reporters who could be traced back to newspapers supporting Epson's company was just the tip of the iceberg.

He found it unlikely that foreign officials would appreciate his presence in private meetings, and that was not good for Squall or himself. But, as headstrong as he might have been in all manner of things in his life, he'd be unmovable about Squall.

There was also the over looming threat to such a public figure as Balamb Garden's Commander. He didn't second-guess his abilities, but that was also the case prior to the underhanded sneak attack by Epson's entourage of abductors. If anything ever happened again, and if he didn't make it in time or manage to get Squall back in one piece, he felt an oppressing certainty that he'd become a broken man.

"Hyne," the blond whispered at his own depressing manner of thinking. Squall was already asleep, ever unaware of so many realities in the world.

Gently, he fingered damp locks of dark brown hair, relishing the feel he'd come to know, dry or wet. At times, he fantasized about the stubborn lion passing the gauntlet on and retiring for days of different life.

It was a ludicrous notion, that Squall would ever consider stepping down from being Commander and Headmaster.

Seifer could relate to the need of being in a position of action. That was what gave them both souls of a fighter. Battle gave them as great a rush as some of their more devastating kisses. However, in all honesty, Squall would never see battle again.

It was a sad truth that the striking brunet probably had yet to consider, or rather hadn't had enough time to dwell upon. The reality was that Squall was too famous to ever be deployed on any future missions and too invaluable to the entire institution to expend.

Stuck behind a desk doing paper work while squeezing in hours in the Training Center was certainly not how Squall should live his days out, especially when he was at the very beginning of an early started career.

Yet, Seifer found no hope in persuading the brunet to leave it behind. He understood all too well that Balamb Garden was like a home, something not easily dismissed as a stage of life that was over with.

There was a giddy appeal in the dream of leaving and finding a place of their own, or traveling around. They could spar endlessly, fulfilling that need for sharpened senses and adrenaline rush in battle. Perhaps explore a bit of the world yet unknown, the places Ragnarok had allowed the merry band of do-gooders to travel to, but which war had prevented them from actually searching thoroughly.

The possibilities were endless, if he put aside the fact that it would never happen.

With a sigh, the ex-knight shifted slightly, digging himself a more comfortable place against the pillow and mattress. Reaching his free arm out, he grasped the standard issue blanket and tugged it up, covering Squall's exposed back. He didn't really need any sheets or blankets when he had Squall warming his bed every night, but he suspected that the brunet became chilled enough to furl closely even in deep sleep.

What a day, a fucking unforgettable day.

Seifer drifted with a pleased smirk on his face, appreciating the feel of his kitten's body against him no less than as on their first night together in the same bed. With a forced clearing of his mind, he managed to follow suit of the younger man, sound asleep.

* * *

Squall awoke to thunderously angry pounding outside the bedroom door. His body tensed up immediately, knowing the intruder to be too close within the confines of his apartment. It was a moment later that he registered a similarly tense knight that he was entangled with.

Gray eyes landed on Hyperion, recalling that Lionheart was stored in his own case, in his room.

"Leonhart!" yelled a sternly unforgiving voice, gruffly familiar.

In a surprising first reaction, Squall turned to Seifer and gave the angry knight a good morning kiss.

Just as Seifer's rising anger ebbed away and the blond considered it a better idea to have morning sex rather than answer the audacious intruder, Squall pulled away and clambered out of bed.

Like hell Squall was answering the door first. Seifer followed quickly, able to dress faster since he had fresh clothes in the dresser and Squall had to scramble around through discarded articles.

"Leonhart!" the voice yelled impatiently, pounding hard enough to visibly shake the door. "Get out here before I come in there and drag your disgraceful ass out!"

Green eyes shot a vehement glare toward the door. The ex-knight's hands were surprisingly adept at hurriedly donning pants and silently holstering Hyperion.

The blond gave a still searching Squall a questioning glance. The brunet mouthed, 'Headmaster Martine', explaining who decided to act as their alarm clock and earn a single digit standing on Seifer's _people to kill_ list.

As Seifer made for the door, so did Squall. The blond did a double take before turning and blocking Squall's way.

"Get dressed," Seifer hissed, seeing that Squall had only managed to find a pair of black briefs that the brunet had tried to wear to bed the night before, but he'd protested, since being completely naked was so much more pleasant.

With a frown, Squall impatiently gestured to the clothes on the floor. "They're all yours," he whispered.

"Then wear 'em," Seifer shot back, his tone rising just above a whisper.

"No," Squall defied with crossed arms, not the least bit demure or shy about revealing his body, since it was a contingency all SeeD had to overcome early on.

Seifer raised his hands as if to strangle the brunet's slender neck, expressing his exasperation for the other's stubbornness and constant need to spite him at the worst moments.

The knight's gesture was affectionate in a sense, bringing a small smile to plush, bowed lips. Squall raised a single brown, mimicking the facial expression Seifer took at times and conveying the message that Seifer should open the door or step out of the way so he might do so.

Naturally, Seifer was the one to wrench the door open with enough force to send it careening into the wall had he not continued to hold onto it.

Martine was a stocky man, still well muscled for his age and job description. Galbadia's Headmaster wasn't necessarily short, but in the circumstance of Ultimecia's knight storming out and towering over him, his height seemed to shrink.

The steps the graying Headmaster took backwards were only on account of the fact that he had been so near the door.

Seifer stopped short of drawing his blade. He stalked forward, glaring harshly at the man he knew to have a particular vendetta against himself for his take over of Galbadia Garden. Though to be fair, it had been all too easy.

"Leonhart," Martine ground out bitingly, his eyes staring into the knight's green ones.

"Headmaster Martine," Seifer greeted disdainfully, "There will not be a second time you enter uninvited _and_ unharmed."

"Are you threatening me Almasy?" Martine cried incredulously, bristling to stand straighter.

"Who let you in?" Seifer asked with menacing intent.

"The Head Instructor," Martine informed scathingly, narrowing his dark brown eyes.

Squall pinched the bridge of his nose while Seifer carried on with his tirade of territorial alarm. For a distracted moment, gray-blue eyes studied the bare torso of the blond, a flicker of desire sparking even in such an inappropriate moment.

Shaking his head, Squall decided Seifer was influencing him, habitually rousing him from sleep in a far more pleasurable manner than how he'd been disturbed that morning.

As if remembering that it was indeed morning, Squall shot a quick glance towards the kitchen, looking for a sign of the hour. It was quite dim, a pale light that was barely perceptible through parted blinds of the window.

When the ex-knight started making threats, Squall felt it had gone on long enough. Reaching out he nudged the blond's upper arm, which was tensely muscled, seriously ready to draw Hyperion.

Seifer could behave if he felt like it. The only encouragement he received to back down at the moment was the possibility of watching a rather amusing conversation follow. He stepped back, never looking away from the piss ant dignitary who probably didn't remember which end the barrel of a gun was at.

The idea of Commander Leonhart being involved with Ultimecia's former knight didn't exactly settle in until that moment, when he saw both men standing nearly naked after coming out of the same bedroom.

At fifty-two years old, Gregory Martine was not behind on the times, but still carried a rather high sense of privacy for all personal affairs. It was quite shocking to find the child Commander standing before him, exposing most of that pale form, which was distinctly covered in unmistakable hickies. The tousled mop of longish chocolate colored hair did little to convince him that the two had indeed been sleeping, as opposed to a more abhorrent act.

"Is there any particular reason why you've overstepped your authority and admitted yourself to my private quarters?" Squall questioned evenly, his tone hardly expressing any annoyance over the entire ordeal.

"Are you insane?" Martine accused, "Which part of your pansy boy anatomy are you thinking with these days Leonhart?"

Squall tensed, fearing the worst would come from Seifer's short fused temper. He was a slightly surprised to not have to restrain the tall blond. A quick glance towards the ex-knight told him that Seifer was indeed restraining himself, and allowing him to deal with it.

Steely eyes studied Galbadia's Headmaster, which the older man didn't quite know how to take and shifted with impatience… or was it discomfort?

"I concede that I should have informed you further ahead of time," Squall spoke, calmly as ever, "But it was not something I could put off any longer."

"Your incompetence is surprising," Martine said, not the least bit more comfortable speaking to someone shorter than himself. Those dangerous looking eyes remained unflinching. It didn't help much to remind himself that the effeminate looking boy was gay. Somehow the stereotypes didn't fit, which was something he'd assumed would fall into place, that Squall Leonhart would suddenly demonstrate a far less intimidating side after such an announcement as having a male lover.

"So is your ignorance," Seifer muttered darkly, grinning when the old man shot him an affronted look.

"Headmaster Martine, I'm sure you're aware that this isn't something I could keep secret."

"Certainly not, when you invite someone like Ultimecia's guard dog back to Garden and start shacking up with him."

Seifer's brows furrowed, his own mind repeating the exact phrasing used and scoffing at it. "Well, I'm the Commander's guard dog now," he said, half serious and half teasing.

Martine sneered, reluctant to direct his attention to someone who was not even SeeD. He kept his focus on the brunet boy, forcefully not trailing his eyes any lower than the young Commander's head. "His return was something we felt would show us how capable you might be with dealing the enemy, but you've gone too far."

Squall frowned, not quite certain he could assume Martine was of such a mindset as he perceived. "The war is over Headmaster, there are no enemies."

"What idealistic world are you living in soldier!" Martine shouted abruptly, "And put some damn clothes on!" he added.

Seifer's grin widened. This was becoming more amusing to him than annoying. How fun would it be to prove to the Headmaster that even the smallest shred of lust for Squall was hypocritical?

For a hesitant moment, Squall debated heeding Martine's demanding request. He'd initially planned on throwing the man out and meeting him shortly after within the appropriate setting of his office, but it became apparent that the older man was adamant about having the discussion right there and then.

Squall turned, obviously intent on dressing.

Seifer assessed his options, finding a plausible excuse for any intimate contact he'd show towards the brunet. He stepped closer as Squall turned his way. Reaching out, he gently cupped the younger man's cheek, startling Squall for a moment. "Want me to toss him?" he questioned hopefully. He shifted his hand to run through tangled locks, giving an affectionate scratch, very much like he was petting a kitten.

Involuntarily, Squall leaned into the caress. It would seem his complete sensitivity to the knight's touch was not pending upon the recent conclusion of such intimate and prolonged interactions as on the previous day. It wasn't logical, but at the simple touch, all worries dispersed and his only concern was feeling more.

However, proper conduct was also a deeply ingrained instinct, which kicked in with latency. As his lips parted and he nearly dared to turn into the hand and lay a kiss against the palm, he stopped himself. "No," he replied. He winced at the husky tone of his voice.

Seifer was brimming with ill concealed excitement over the strong reactions he was receiving from Squall over the lightest of touches. He gave a responding nod, letting his eyes watch avidly as Squall walked toward the other bedroom. As the tantalizing sight vanished behind a closed door, he straightened his stance, having leaned over to watch that ass for as long as possible.

The ex-knight was not at all surprised to find dark brown eyes gleaming in a similar state of distraction, also staring after the Commander. The blond was suddenly torn between drawing his gunblade to brutally blinding the Headmaster and laughing at the salivating man.

"See something you like?" Seifer questioned with underlying mirth, though his tone was threatening.

"Excuse me?" Martine shot angrily, stiffening as his eyes tore from the empty air before the closed door to glare at the impudent knight.

Seifer sneered. "You've got a little drool Headmaster." He gestured towards the man's face. "I'd watch your remarks about being gay when you yourself seem incapable of not getting turned on by a little skin. It wasn't indecent at all really."

"How dare you," Martine growled, ashamed to find a slight flush of embarrassment come to his face.

"It was getting a little hot in here, wasn't it? I bet you're wishing you had a camera to make it last longer. Or perhaps you'd be man enough to follow Leonhart right now, go in that room and show him exactly how you feel."

The malice was tangible. Martine stared in outrage, an outrage born of several parents.

Seifer was a very perceptive man when he tried hard enough. He saw the shock and shame covered by the anger. Seeing this inadvertently stirred his own anger. It was like being caught in a web of his own spinning, putting ideas into the Headmaster's head and then becoming insanely possessive that he wouldn't even allow another man to harbor such thoughts. "Don't even think about it you fucking bastard," he hissed dangerously.

"I could have you court-martialled for such threats, you piece of shit."

"Good luck getting a conviction when I'm not SeeD, you jealous pedophile," the blond returned. Granted, Squall was not underage, but the brunet had just recently turned eighteen, and he was too pissed to really consider the specifics.

"I'm a married man," Martine defended, eyes wide at the slanderous title given.

"Yeah, well I doubt you've ever watched your wife's ass so closely as you just did the Commander's. You might want to think twice about being here on such hypocritical grounds."

Breathing heavily in flustered anger, Martine turned and began walking away. "I'll be in the Headmaster's office, where I'll expect Leonhart to show up unaccompanied by yourself!" he announced over his shoulder.

Seifer balled his fists, wanting to slug the man square in the jaw, but refraining. He knew the extent of his anger was unwarranted. This was a prime example of his fears about his emotions getting out of hand when pertaining to Squall.

Squall returned in a pair of jeans and dark gray shirt, holding a pair of socks. "Why'd Martine leave?" he questioned, having heard the last statement about being in the office.

Naturally, the brunet attributed it to something Seifer had said, so he gazed accusingly at the blond. Instead of receiving an answer however, Squall found himself pulled into the knight's arms and roughly kissed.

It was a calmly reassuring action, claiming the brunet's red lips so completely. When the action grew paramount with need, Seifer drew back.

As softly innocent blue eyes stared at him in question, the blond said, "Good morning."

TBC…

A/N Hmm… I found this a rather enjoyable chapter to write. I'm sorry to everyone who wanted an actual scene with Squall topping Seifer, but I couldn't do it. It's not something I originally intended or felt comfortable about even upon receiving so many requests. I repeat, that in my experience, from my knowledge and handful of gay friends, it is not commonplace to switch roles (I'm not saying it isn't done, I'm sure there are many couples who share equally and what not). Well, I hope you liked it!


	16. Chapter 16

Chapter Sixteen

Human Nature

Squall listened for a while, his eyes trained on his neatened desk, which Quistis had no doubt straightened when she'd filled in for him the previous day. There were moments when he'd wandered and missed what Martine had said, but considering the older man didn't appear to have noticed during the long ranted lecture, he figured it didn't matter.

It was shortly after six on a rather cloudy morning and Galbadia's Headmaster had been speaking continuously for about ten minutes. Squall felt like he'd traveled back a couple months to his last lunch date with Rinoa. He had to remind himself that numbly nodding in agreement was not how he should deal with Martine.

Gray-blue eyes lifted from the desktop and cast a glance at the now pacing man. It seemed weird that a Headmaster should be wearing a SeeD uniform, on the weekend no less. Then again, he was used to seeing Cid dressed in civilian clothes at all times.

Squall settled his focus on the door at the other end of the room, wondering if Seifer would be upset with him afterwards. He'd requested the blond wait outside, complying with an enraged Headmaster's demands, since he could only assume Seifer had been the one to set Martine off.

There was something that was presenting as a nagging concern in the back of the pale brunet's mind, but he couldn't quite place it.

Ms. Mayor had not been in, which was a given since it was Saturday, but the desk and workspace outside his private office had not been empty.

Apparently Commander Trent had accompanied Martine on the intrusive excursion to Balamb Garden. Martine must have planned it all out, setting Trent up behind his secretary's desk while the older man waited in his office. It was as if they'd taken over, or at least a brash flaunt of some authority they believed they held.

It was all Squall could do not to demand Trent remove herself. The fact that both of Galbadia's heads of office were at his Garden begged the question of who was running Galbadia Garden. Given Martine's apparent position on the qualifications needed to act as leader, he doubted the man would trust another person to do his job, even on a day when classes were not in session.

Now, Squall found himself having the most random fixation over just what was going on outside of his office. It had almost escaped his attention, but he'd seen a certain glimmer in Commander Trent's eyes and noticed how she subtly kept her focus trained on the blond knight.

Initially, he'd thought nothing of it, knowing that SeeD from Galbadia tended to harbor the most ill will towards Seifer, never believing he should have been pardoned. However, after being around Seifer and seeing the way the ex-knight looked at him, quite often with a raking gaze of desire, the brunet was able to recognize the emotion when it presented. The glimmer Trent's aquamarine eyes held was desire. He'd even go so far as to call it lust.

It wasn't surprising, just something Squall hadn't ever witnessed before, or maybe he'd just never noticed.

Squall frowned in his introspective analysis. There was more to what was between himself and Seifer than years of rivalry and recent love. Their entire relationship had been born of an insuppressible lust, starting what he hadn't expected to turn into anything serious or long lasting. Seifer was undeniably the quintessence of masculine appeal. The ex-knight was tall, richly tanned, firmly muscled, and handsome. They were qualities that were supposedly what women looked for.

There wasn't necessarily any one aspect of Seifer that Squall could say attracted him, it was just an all-together attraction that drew him in and held him captive. Even that damnable arrogance aroused a certain acquired affection for the green-eyed knight.

It was ridiculous that his thoughts should wander at such a time as delegating with Galbadia's Headmaster. But, he found it was difficult to concentrate when he knew Seifer was just outside the door. For all the knight's commenting about his own smaller physique, more specifically his ass, Seifer was either all too aware or ignorant of the way he himself looked. Those black slacks seemed to have been tailored to hug the knight in just the right places, loose but still form fitting. And with a rich blue dress shirt tucked in at the waist, Squall felt own his body failed in comparison to Seifer's embodiment of the perfect soldier.

There was little doubt that as loathing as Trent might have been of the ex-knight, the eyes' observations could not be denied, and Squall had more recently learned that the body's reactions were more truthful than the mind.

Martine was talking about the importance of any military leader to symbolize normalcy and tradition. "Nobody admires a gay Commander, it discredits your entire Garden."

Squall let the words wash over him, feeling rather disturbed by the older man's stance on leadership principles. He wondered whether they were past the experience and age issue. He also wondered whether he could classify himself as a homosexual, or if Martine or anyone else would care. Seifer seemed to think he wasn't gay and he was inclined to agree, at least in the sense that he wasn't attracted to other men, just Seifer. Then again, he wasn't attracted to women. Did that make him asexual? No, it made him abnormal, which was still something Martine considered unacceptable in the Commander of a Garden.

With another five minutes wasted, it seemed unlikely that Seifer and Trent were silently waiting outside the office. What were they talking about? He didn't hear shouting, which meant Seifer wasn't antagonizing her. Oddly, Squall wasn't sure he was relieved of the fact that Trent hadn't stormed in furious over some comment the blond knight had made.

There was an odd knot in the brunet's stomach, his eyes unable to stop glancing towards the door.

It was a few moments before gray-blue eyes widened in self-realization. 'Hyne,' he thought with dismay, 'I'm being possessive.' If Martine were going to rant, it should be on the pathetic nature of his sudden jealous possessiveness over such a tiny matter as a woman finding his lover attractive. Pinching the bridge of his nose, he sighed. He'd rather deal with Martine than continue with his previous train of thought.

"Headmaster Martine," Squall spoke up, not caring that he'd interrupted the man mid sentence. "Similar as our facilities may be, our authorities do not cross or link in anyway. This is my Garden, and in this building I am Commander and Headmaster. I was appointed to my position for a reason. With all due respect, you are in no position to lecture me."

Martine eyed the young man keenly, hating how the foundation beneath his feet was never steady. One moment he thinks the boy is complacently ashamed and listening with a bowed head, and the next those sharp eyes are pinning him in place with defiance. He couldn't get a handle on Leonhart, not yet knowing where the boy stood on the whole situation. Though, he could wager a decent guess if the state of the boy's body were anything to go by. There must have been twenty different rouged kiss marks along that pale torso, a torso he'd never suspected to have such muscle definition or to show that the gentle curve of slim hips was not just due to the bulky belts usually adorning leather pants.

"Martine," Squall said in a slightly scolding manner.

Dark brown eyes snapped to attention, returning to stare at the youth's face. A slight blush crept up his neck upon realizing he'd just been caught staring at the Balamb Lion's body. It was hardly his fault, given the fitting manner that long sleeved shirt hugged the young man enough to outline the exact manner of curvature he'd been brandished with not half an hour ago.

Was Leonhart thinking the same things as Almasy? Did this mere boy consider his simple observations a sign of lust? It was an outrageous conclusion, to think that he'd ever harbor a single inappropriate or stray thought, and for another man no less.

Squall waited for a moment, not certain why Martine displayed such a short attention span, when only moments before, the Headmaster had been quite capable of staying on the same topic for great lengths.

Unsure of what Martine was even asking of him, Squall decided it really didn't matter. He wasn't going to do anything other than carry on as he'd been doing each day. Nothing had changed, other than the public's knowledge, and the public had no place within the walls of a military organization.

With a stern gaze, Squall held Martine's attention effectively while speaking. "Revealing my relationship with Seifer was a courtesy, not a request for help. My abilities to act as leader of Balamb Garden are not in question, not to you or any officer from Galbadia or Trabia. The men and women I work for, here in _this _Garden are the only people I would ever have to explain myself to, and I'm quite certain they've had no complaints with me so far."

Lips pressed tightly together, Martine listened. He was thirty-four years Leonhart's senior with just that many years more experience. A child in comparison, this boy had no more than six months of field experience. Six months! To be given the rank of Commander and later take over as Headmaster was unheard of and a slap in the face for every hard working soldier's labor in climbing the latter. Now to have this supposed prodigy liaising with a sorceress' knight was unacceptable. It was bad enough that Leonhart welcomed the enemy back with open arms, but now the boy was bending over like a little slut and flaunting it.

"Your relations with that knight are unacceptable," the graying man stated with a brewing temper.

Squall rose in a smooth motion, gracefully leaning forward with gripping hands at the edge of his desk. "Who I fuck is not a reflection on this administration in any way. I can't help but feel that this is solely an issue about homosexuality, given that my relationship with Rinoa was not taboo." It was no secret that Rinoa had been a sorceress, and no one had ever objected to his dating her while in charge of the very organization founded with the purpose of destroying sorceresses.

"Public image affects your ability to run Garden. As it stands, the press has never been happy with your total ineptitude to give speeches and present yourself accordingly at public functions. Press conferences are a weekly affair, not monthly."

"Press conferences are a violation of everything Garden stands for," Squall shot back, wondering if they would end up debating everything they disagreed upon before they were finished. "Most of our clients expect absolute privacy. And unless I'm much mistaken, being a Headmaster is not some sort of pageant that requires parading about for the favor of reporters."

"You dare to lecture me on my job?" Martine exclaimed with disbelief.

Squall bit back the urge to scoff. He wouldn't presume to question Martine's ability as Headmaster, and as such, he expected the same respect returned. "I do not dare, sir," he replied evenly, "I simply refute the traditions that I'm expected to uphold, when they are in fact total bullshit."

Martine's eyes widened. "You should never have been left in place once the war was over," he stated heatedly, "You're a child trying to fill your daddy's shoes. I have always respected Cid Kramer, but I believe he let his marriage cloud his judgment when he left you in charge."

Eye shut for a lingering moment, Squall frowned. He felt his own anger flaring, something that was nearly impossible to do unless Seifer was the one pushing his buttons. If Martine was dead set on attacking him, then he would not remain idle. "I have to wonder what that would imply about yourself," he spoke calmly, "Balamb Garden has only seen a seventeen percent decrease of an income that was already twenty percent higher than that of Galbadia's before the war, since I've taken over. Galbadia on the other hand has already issued budget cuts because you've lost _thirty_ percent of your income. While I already have a budget plan drawn up for such a need as cutting funding, I do not plan on using it, since Balamb's alliance with Esthar ensures we will receive all the support necessary."

Arrogance was not an air Squall felt comfortable trying to pull off, and in the end, he failed miserably. He did however manage to make his point with a dangerously calm tone and narrowed gaze that Martine seemed incapable of breaking away from.

Straightening and allowing Martine reprieve from his demanding nature, Squall slowly stalked around the edge of his desk. "We've actually had to limit the number of applicants to become cadets in our Garden because the large influx of first years and the amount of cadets who applied for transfers from your own Garden."

"That has everything to do with your face being on every magazine cover and nothing to do with your actual leadership," Martine shot down, taking great offense to the suggestion that such a young SeeD was better than himself.

"Then perhaps I should mention the statistics of grades and field exam results. I take no credit for how well our cadets study for exams that are standard for every Garden, but I will gladly take credit for the result Balamb's new curriculum outturns next semester."

It took a moment for the gravity of the slightly shorter Headmaster's statement to settle in. Any change in the curriculum was simply not done. There were rules that were not meant to be broken. All three Gardens adhered to a very strict regimen of specialty training and required courses, universally structured so that every SeeD received an equal education and field training. "What?" he yelled, stepping right up to the casually dressed officer and getting in his pretty little face.

Squall remained still, not entirely unaffected by the close proximity, but refusing to let on to it. He glared at the man, wishing that this single confrontation would end soon and that it would also be the end of all further arguments. "I've made revisions, altered the spectrum a bit," he replied in an almost coy manner, lowering his voice to give credence to the short distance between them. "It is well within my power to do so," he added, feeling far too much like his blond counter part for the goading words he seemed to be using.

Martine felt the need to step back, but considering he'd been the one to step forward, he remained rooted. His eyes were drawn to bowed lips that moved to form the words spoken in a soft tone that sounded terribly like an attempt at seduction.

Swallowing thickly, Martine felt a multitude of conflicting emotions. If any part of his mind was dwelling on the physical appeal that this young man presented, it was a result of Ultimecia knight's accusations. The moment he tried to conjure an image of his wife was the breaking point for him, as if it were an admittance that he was in fact attracted to Squall, an eighteen year old young man whose unique name he'd never spoken aloud except in a formal manner. Was it such a terrible thing to want to close the short gap between them?

* * *

Seifer took a certain guilty pleasure in inciting Commander Trent's baser instincts of attraction. He'd always been a hit with women, maturing early and backing up his roguish good looks with unwavering confidence. It was all about physical appeal, the bodies and faces that stirred desire.

The blond knight sat posed on the corner of the desk, casually supported in a manner that was guaranteed to leave the thirty something year old woman to have naughty thoughts about his perfectly muscled body. He knew just how hot he was. At times when he wondered how he managed to score such a lucky ending as to be with Squall, he took into account that good looking people tended to get more than they deserved. Having Squall as his devoted lover only served to boost his ego high enough to compare himself to a godlike figure of aesthetic glory.

"I've known Squall since I was five years old," the blond continued to speak in a smooth baritone voice.

Such intimate details on the Ice Prince were irresistible, capturing Trent's attention completely. It was amazing how different Seifer Almasy was in person, no longer a sorceress' knight. He was the sort of handsome that made a woman's hart flutter uncontrollably, simply from watching him.

"Is it true what they say about your scars?" she questioned with interest, eyeing the jagged line between striking jade colored eyes.

Seifer leaned forward slightly, crowding the woman who sat in what would have been a leisurely manner had she not been so obviously nervous about her body language. He grinned, never breaking her gaze. "And what do they say, Grace?" he asked, pointedly using her first name, which he'd learned no less than ten minutes ago.

Gulping visibly, Commander Trent prayed that the flush and warmth she felt flood her body did not show. If he wasn't the most attractive man she'd ever met, then she had some sort of memory lapse involving an encounter with Jake Cranston, the male model voted sexiest man of the year four years running.

Trent didn't speak until she was certain her voice wouldn't come out as a croak. "They say it's the mark of a knight."

Seifer controlled his laughter, wanting to roar at the stupidity of such an idea, but making it come out as a soft chuckle. He shook his head. "No, we gave these to each other," he explained, gesturing to the healed wound. "Our spars are just as intense as everything else we do," he added with a slightly husky tone.

It was far too warm for the older woman's liking at the moment. If she didn't know any better, she'd swear he was flirting with her.

"This Garden is the only home I've ever known," Seifer spoke further, wondering where he felt like taking his little game. He could toy with her or perhaps he could win his sexy brunet some favor in Galbadia by raking in the sympathy from a good sob story. "Squall is the only person in my life who has always been there."

Unable to suppress her sympathy, Commander Trent's brows drew together and her eyes remained unblinking as she listened avidly. She understood exactly how it felt. Galbadia Garden was her home.

Seifer knew which way he was going when he saw the emotional gaze in blue-green eyes. He might have felt guilty about what he was doing, if he were another person. "The war was the greatest mistake of my life."

"So you do regret joining Ultimecia. Is it true you weren't being controlled?"

Green eyes sharpened for a moment, annoyance flaring before the blond could force a softer expression. "I don't regret being a knight," he corrected, hoping he covered his truer feelings of defensiveness over that particular subject. "It had always been my dream to become a knight like that, just not for someone as insane as Ultimecia."

"Then what do you regret?" Trent questioned, stirring from her state of sympathy at the admittance that his allegiance with the enemy was voluntary.

"I regret leaving the only person I've ever loved," the ex-knight stated evenly, effectively drawing the older woman right back in. "I never knew how I felt for him until I thought I'd lost him forever." He sighed deeply, laying on the dramatics thick, "I realize now that my want to become a knight was my misguided feelings of protection for Squall. That's why I'm here now as his bodyguard, to watch over him like I should have done during the war… to be his knight."

Had the Galbadian Commander not been watching him so closely, he would have begun laughing and pat himself on the back for another prank well done. However, she seemed on the verge of tears, as if suddenly realizing she'd completely misjudged everything. Hyne, some people were so fickle, at least in the face of nervous emotions such as flustered attraction.

For a thoughtful moment, Seifer reminded himself of a few pointers he should touch base on, winding the sympathy down to focus on the situation of Galbadia's scrutiny over his lover. "Do you disapprove of our relationship?" he asked bluntly, putting the woman in a spot she obviously didn't want to be in. "Is it wrong for us to love each other?"

"I-" Trent began, but fell short as her role as Commander suddenly conflicted with the supportive words she'd been about to speak.

"He works so hard to keep everyone happy. You can't deny that he's a good Commander. It's just that, with so many people in his life that he has to keep happy and live up to their expectations, I'm the only one who he's never had to perform for."

"But, you must understand how it will look to the public," Trent said earnestly, feeling far too uncertain about her previous stance to stand behind it directly.

Seifer smiled and cast a longing gaze towards the closed doorway. He smiled as if in some perfect little world where nothing mattered but himself and Squall. "That doesn't matter to us," he said, well aware of the female Commander's absolute attention.

It was almost too easy. The soft sigh that escaped the older woman's lips was all Seifer needed to hear to know that Squall wouldn't be having any trouble with Galbadia's Commander in the near future.

The sudden thumping of what might have been just a fist on a desk, but immediately made Seifer think of a body tackled to the floor caused the blond to bolt to the office doors.

TBC…

A/N Yay, another chapter. I love this story! Seifer and Squall make my day, I can't get enough of writing about them. I'm taking the summer to write my own original story. (How awesome would it be if I could manage to become published?) I've only gotten out two chapters, still rough drafts. I'm totally gonna keep this story going at the same pace, but I find myself so distracted from my other story, cause I keep wanting to write more for this one. Anyway, thank you all for the awesome reviews!


	17. Chapter 17

Chapter Seventeen 

Tough Skin

Seifer was halfway across the room with Hyperion drawn in preparation to decapitate Headmaster Martine, when he realized Squall was glaring at him and the chair nearby the older man was upturned. Given the stance of the two, he'd say neither had been sitting and that Martine had most likely knocked the padded wooden seat over. It would certainly account for the noise, had it been done forcefully enough.

Martine stood on pins and needles, wide eyed and staring at the deadly blade that suddenly looked far sharper and steely upon making him the intended target.

"Seifer, it was the chair," Squall pointed out the obvious, none too certain the protective knight would consider the difference between a chair and his body until after Martine was dead.

Practically snarling as he strode closer, Seifer bared his teeth in a nasty sneer. Green eyes were narrowed, dangerously set on a single marker, causing the brunet behind the desk to blanch and move to him.

"Seifer," Squall warned again, a little louder. If Seifer hurt Martine then a hellfire would rain down upon them and resigning would truly be the only option.

Though the intimidating ex-knight showed no sign of hearing the Commander, he strode right past Martine, who had begun trembling very slightly. Turning to stand by a smaller brunet, who breathed a sigh of relief, he sheathed the gunblade and folded his arms.

With a glare, Seifer spoke, "I don't care if it's just a chair. If it happens again, Hyne herself won't be able to save you Headmaster."

"Seifer, that's enough," Squall hissed lowly, stormy eyes reprimanding the knight.

Nostrils flaring, Galbadia's Headmaster stalked to the edge of the desk, leering across it towards the impudent young Commander. "This is blackmail Leonhart!" he cried.

Seifer had been in the middle of drawing Hyperion again, to place a warning cut along the Headmaster's jugular where an accidental slip of the hand wouldn't be completely erroneous. However, at the mention of blackmail, he stopped and gave an incredulous gaze towards his younger counterpart.

When the brunet suddenly seemed to become guilt ridden under Seifer's piercing gaze, the blond brimmed with pride. Reaching out, he ruffled unruly strands of chestnut brown hair.

Startled, Squall craned his head up to meet green eyes. Silently, he broke away and returned his attention to an enraged Headmaster. He wasn't comfortable dealing with Martine while Seifer was right there to hear what he'd resorted to.

"I'm sorry Headmaster," Squall spoke evenly, sincerely wishing he hadn't needed to extort his power for such a self-motivated cause.

"This won't be the end of it. I'm only one person. Zephlar and Xu will speak up. General Caraway will see you're thrown out of office if he has to-"

"Get the fuck out!" Seifer yelled, "I'll see you thrown out of this office if you don't leave now."

Trent sidled closer to the Headmaster, frightened but more battle worn than Martine. She placed a hand on the man's shoulder. "Sir," she spoke, eyeing the pair behind the desk.

In the farthest reaches of the blond's mind, he remembered the image he'd tried to display for Galbadia's Commander. Considering he may have just shattered it, he tried to repair it. Sneaking an arm around the brunet's shoulders, he leaned down and placed a kiss to soft hair that carried the pleasantly light scent of Squall's shampoo. He murmured loud enough for his audience to hear, "No more rioters when I'm not in the room. I swear to Hyne, my heart stopped."

In a rush, unwelcome air trailing at their heels, Trent and Martine left. Seifer was a little surprised to see an almost apologetic look to the older woman's eyes as she cast a final glance back at them before going straight for the stairwell, completely ignoring the elevator.

At the sound of a door shutting, Seifer tightened his hold. He hadn't been lying about nearly having a heart attack. He was too young and healthy for cardiac arrest, but dammit all if Squall didn't have the most extreme effects on his body.

Reluctantly, Seifer dropped his arm and stepped away. Sensing that Squall was upset, and hiding it, he strode to the fallen chair and set it right. "So, are you going to tell me what happened or do I have to wait until you're good 'n horny before starting my interrogation."

With a roll of gray-blue eyes, Squall scoffed. Turning from the blond knight, the brunet stubbornly looked out the large window. The sky was overcast with gray clouds. It wasn't the best weather for their last day in FH. Any cadets looking for a hopeful day of sun and warmth would be disappointed, especially when they were back in Balamb and dealing with the onslaught of the cold autumn rains near the mountain range.

Silently, Seifer returned to Squall's side, stepping up behind the shorter boy. Firm hands grasped slender shoulders. An array of remarks came to mind, but he spoke none of them. Pressing closely, he wrapped his arms around Squall's shoulder, engulfing the lithe torso and squeezing protectively. He rested his chin on top of the brunet's head, which might have been mocking of their height difference at any other time.

Squall's eyes fluttered shut, falling into the warm embrace that set him at ease and washed every bad thing in his life away as though it never happened. He wasn't upset with Martine exactly, more himself. But, feeling Seifer's strong arms around him, it was more than worth it.

Sighing, soft lips parted to speak. "He's been having an affair for the past two years. I used it against him, said that if he spoke out against me, us, I'd give the proof to his wife."

Jolting laughter filled the room and vibrated against Squall's back. "That all?" Seifer questioned lightly. "That's the business kiddo, you know that."

"This is different," Squall said defensively, taking offense to the idea that he of all people didn't know of the darker side to being SeeD. "This was entirely personal. It had nothing to do with right or wrong, just what I wanted. I'm stopping him from expressing his opinions freely."

"And slandering the good Almasy name," Seifer added with ironic sarcasm. There was little more that could be done to tarnish his name after being Ultimecia's knight. When Squall still seemed bated by the whole affair, he gave a smacking kiss to a sensitive ear, startling the unsuspecting Commander with the noise and action. "You're not making him do anything."

Squall tilted his head so that Seifer couldn't access his ear, finding that it was somewhat of a vulnerable spot, which the blond often used against him without mercy. "I'm threatening him-"

Cutting the brunet off, Seifer admonished, "He still has a choice. He can be a dick and go against us, or he can stay silent and continue cheating on his wife in peace."

"Not much of a choice," Squall muttered darkly, still disliking what he'd done.

"No one blackmailed him into screwing the pool boy, he dug himself that hole." Thinking back on the older man's words, Seifer added, "He's got balls to use marriage as some cover story, making himself out to be some saint."

With a noncommittal grunt, Squall conceded. What was done, was done, no use fretting over it. Turning as much as he could in the tight hold, he flopped his head against the knight's shoulder. "And it wasn't the pool boy. It was a call girl."

Adjusting his arms, Seifer hugged the brunet about the waist and let his head bow against the nape of a pale neck. "From the way he was checking you out in those tiny briefs, I would've bet my money on a pool boy. But, I suppose you bring out the homoerotic in every man alive, don't you." He received a light push for that, but nothing more as they remained pressed flush against each other.

It became clear that Squall's guilt was born of hurt, hearing for the first time all the negatives about being with another man and a former knight. And for that, Seifer kept his hold tight, wishing it could be easier, but not willing to give it up for anything. He was selfish, and would not let Squall go, even if the Commander was hurt by it.

For Seifer, the whole idea of letting a bird fly free if you truly loved it was total crap. He'd clip Squall's wings and keep the strikingly beautiful young man under lock and key, anything to keep his lover near.

However, he would still do everything in his power to ease tense shoulders and take as much weight off of an Ice Prince who wasn't quite used to such brutal public attacks. In general, neither of them tended to give any credence to what others said, but there was no doubt that this was entirely different.

It would be difficult not to take every remark personal when it would deal with such a personal subject. As it was, Seifer may not have cared about Headmaster Martine's opinion, but he cared about the effect it had on Squall. His concern for Squall would be his weakness against public scrutiny.

"What are the odds of getting bombarded in town?" the ex-knight asked randomly, filling any silence that had begun in the empty office.

"Slim," Squall answered, already used to not being able to follow most of Seifer's thoughts.

"Let's go fishing or something, we can eat out." After a moment, he added, "We can find Laguna and drag him along too." Seifer kind of liked the goofball. The president was Squall's dad anyway, not like he could dislike the guy. Besides, he'd had Squall all to himself yesterday, so he should probably share before the others complained.

Squall groaned at the suggestion, recalling the sopping wet end to his last excursion in town with his father.

Seifer jostled Squall in his arms. Staggering towards the Commander's comfortable, high backed leather chair, he pulled the brunet with him, nearly lifting the young man off the ground.

Not speaking, not even a sound of protest, Squall let Seifer drag him along. It was too comfortable against the blond's broad chest to complain.

Landing with an ungraceful plop, Seifer loosened his hold so that Squall could better join him. He guided slim hips so that the sultry kitten's shapely butt fell right in his lap, perhaps tempting the fates by placing any part of Squall's anatomy so near his groin. As he leaned back and propped his legs upon the neat surface of the mahogany desk, Squall conformed in a similar position atop him. He received the distinct impression that his quiet lover was mocking him in the way booted feet, two sizes smaller than his own, thudded as if in point of relaxing better than him.

Squall was practically horizontal when he rested his head back, loving the feel of being directed instead of directing. It proved uncomfortable after a moment, so he shifted. Taking great care not to squish a rather sensitive part of Seifer that he'd come to enjoy, he swung his leg to the side after lifting off the blond with the aid of the armrests.

Seifer marveled at Squall's inherent grace, slipping into place so smoothly as though it were a practiced skill, as though the brunet had been sitting in daddy's lap all his life. The knight's brows drew together at the thought of Squall in another man's lap.

"What is it?" Squall asked as Seifer's hands clamped down on his hips. He settled back down, legs bent and draped over the side.

Considering the question for a moment, Seifer decided he wasn't insane with jealousy because Squall had not been with another person before. Rinoa was hardly competition. Any images that he might conjure for his own jealous torture were faceless, and therefore ridiculous to consider as threats. Squall sat in no one's lap but his. Only he, Seifer Almasy, could reach up and cup that delicate face, drawing the brunet in for a lingering kiss as he did right then.

"I'll go," Squall managed to agree against slick lips. It might not be the nicest day, but it would be the warmest one he'd see for a while.

Grinning, Seifer teased the pale boy, groping fingers along the ridges of Squall's ribs, tickling the pretty Commander. Just as Squall began to draw back, he held him in place, not letting the kiss end.

With a contented sigh, significant of satisfying a thirst for the moment, they broke apart. Squall laid back, his legs to the side, but his upper body twisting slightly so that his back was almost against the knight's muscled chest. A supportive arm wrapped around his shoulders, Seifer's hands laced together and placed against his right thigh.

Perhaps it was the result of letting the world know about him and Seifer, but sitting there with the office door open, Squall hardly felt troubled about being seen at such an intimate moment. He wouldn't have liked someone walking in, but unlike a day or two ago, he wouldn't scramble to compose himself in desperation to not be caught lingering in Seifer's lap.

* * *

Lunch for the gang included two new additions to the group and piling into a small diner near the docks.

Pushing two of the largest tables together, nine bodies became the focus of that diner.

The owner didn't seem to mind, having no more than two people enter all day. A small town did small business, but didn't shy away from a crowd if they were decent people. At Fred's Shack, it was just Fred Bell and his wife Freda Bell.

Zell and Greta sat at one end, listening to Freda as she talked about how her and her husband wanted to settle down some place remote and open a small café together.

Laguna and Selphie were immersed in the details on the festival. The stage was done, just needing a few finishing touches that the copper haired woman hadn't been able to cajole the workers into doing. The men from FH had something against glitter, she just knew they did.

Rui struggled in horror to sit down in his own seat, but to no avail. Squall wasn't sure if he should speak up for the boy or not. Selphie was talking to the longhaired President across from her while keeping a vice grip on the kid, who obviously felt uncomfortable and mortified to be sitting right in her lap.

It occurred to Squall that Selphie might not have realized that Rui wasn't six years old, but fifteen. Granted, he was a little small for a fifteen year old, but he was still not that much younger than any of them, Laguna aside. There was also to fact that Selphie was the next smallest among them, making her hardly any bigger than Rui, and the least fit to have the boy sitting in her lap.

"Stop moving around, you've got a bony butt," Selphie interrupted her own sentence to bite out.

"I can sit on my own," Rui complained.

Irvine watched with sharp eyes. For the boy's sake, that blush had better be from embarrassment. "Darlin' let the kid go."

"But, I love him!" she declared loudly, squeezing him tightly and shaking back and forth. "You should have seen him. He was all, 'Don't talk about the Commander that way.'" She dropped her voice to try and imitate Rui, whose voice actually wasn't nearly as low as Selphie managed to pull off, "And they were all, 'Oh yeah, you wanna fight punk?'"

Everyone stopped for a moment to watch Selphie's antics.

"And then, and then," she continued excitedly, recounting the story for the tenth time with yet another different set of quotes, "Rui was all like, 'I'll never let you get away with talking about him like that again, he's like a big brother to me!'"

"I did not say that!" Rui cried in embarrassed outrage.

"And then," the energetic pilot plowed on, pulling Rui closer so she could better see every person, "Five seniors who were on steroids came after him."

"There were two," Rui mumbled in correction, questioning the sanity of the woman speaking.

Zell jumped up from his seat, enthralled by Selphie's storytelling. Boxing the air and hopping from foot to foot, he remarked, "They always gotta use numbers against the good ones."

"You mean short ones, Dincht. Valdez will be taller than you in another year." Seifer corrected, earning a glare from the spiky haired blond.

"Rui almost had them," Selphie continued, debating whether she should stand up and use Zell to reenact the scene.

"They beat the shit out of me," Rui groaned, raising a tentative hand to a swollen black eye and split lip.

"You're my hero!" Selphie exclaimed, snuggling the boy so tightly that he gave an exhaling yelp.

"Then what happened?" Zell asked. Thus far the story had been retold for the sake of each person Selphie met that day, he was the last one.

"Well the fight was hardly fair, so I-"

Irvine cut in, "So you used your new found ability to cast magic like you're throwing your voice. Now there are two senior cadets who think Rui was junctioned when he's not allowed, and because of his relationship with Squall, everyone will think the Commander's bending the rules in a game of favorites."

In a pout, Selphie shot the gunman a dejected glare. No one could deflate her balloon like the ranger of the group. "Sorry Squall, I couldn't help it."

Squall didn't reply.

With a ruffle of the Commander's hair, Seifer spoke up, "Thanks all the same Tilmitt, but this shit is bound to happen. We'll just have to let Kadowaki know that potions can be used to patch up everyone who supports the Commander."

"Seifer!" Quistis chastised sternly, "We can not afford to break any rules like that."

"Come one Trepe, you know you want to slip Valdez a potion in his drink right now," the blond knight returned.

"Be that as it may," Quistis conceded with a reassuring smile towards the dark haired boy, "It simply cannot be done."

"It's fine," Rui declared, "I swiped… nothing from their wallets," he finished oddly after looking into bright gray-blue eyes and remembering what Squall had told him about pick-pocketing. Suffice to say, lunch was on him that day.

Without much notice, Greta stood and received a warm kiss from her husband before following Freda into the kitchens.

"You know," Laguna spoke, directing his attention to the youngest member of the group, "There's something I've always wondered. How is it that pickpockets always know where my wallet is?"

Rui cast a quick scan towards the ex-knight, seeming to ask the blond if the longhaired man was serious. "Ever read one of those warning signs they always post around the city?"

"Yeah," Laguna answered, "Though I don't think they put them in the right place. My wallet's always in place when I read one."

Rui tried not to laugh. This guy was as innocent as a newborn. "Next time you read one, don't check to see if you've got your wallet still."

Frowning, Laguna regarded Rui suspiciously. "That's what Kiros always told me when we'd go to Deling City as soldiers. But, then I'm wondering about it."

Seifer forced himself not to laugh at his father-in-law's expense. "Well, it's not like you're roaming the streets without a guard nowadays Loire."

"True," Laguna agreed.

"Can I sit down now?" Rui asked in exasperation.

"Only if I can give you a kiss," Selphie returned.

Considering the copper haired girl said it as a suggestion, Rui hadn't expected to receive the succession of pecks on his cheek immediately after. Blushing furiously, he scrambled to the empty chair nearby, wondering why he put up with it. He gulped when he realized violet eyes were burning a hole in his head.

Squall pinched the bridge of his nose. The liking Selphie had taken to Rui had not been entirely unexpected when he'd initially called upon her to help Rui get settled in to a new dorm. Still, the brunet wondered if the younger boy might have been better off thieving the streets of Dollet.

"Where are Raijin and Fujin?" Quistis questioned with a glance at her watch. If the duo didn't show up soon, they'd eat without them.

Clearing his throat, Seifer explained, "They'll show up whenever they can manage to stumble out of bed." He grinned impishly at his mischief making. Technically Raijin never said he couldn't tell anyone. "'Sides, someone's gotta look after the place while we're all here."

"Dude," Zell piped up, "I so knew they were together." Leaning way down the table, he extended a gloved hand towards Irvine, "Pay up baby!"

TBC…

A/N Pretty much just a resolution to the previous chapter and a little bit more tagged on. The next chapter will bring a turn of events, sort of. With preparations for the festival nearly complete, the count down will begin soon. I suppose that doesn't mean much since I haven't even presented what will be going on yet. I will soon though!


	18. Chapter 18

Chapter Eighteen

Brewing Trouble

"I'm trying to watch the news," Squall mumbled as insistent hands groped his thigh and snuck along the band of his jeans.

"And I'm horny," Seifer whispered against the brunet's ear.

"I know," Squall returned, shifting slightly to rub against the hard bulge pressing against him from behind.

The pair sat on the couch in their shared apartment, the TV on and muted. The blond knight reclined with his sultry kitten wedged between his legs. It was quite impossible to have Squall pressed against his chest with that sweet butt right at his groin, chaste as it may have been, and not become aroused.

Chuckling darkly, the ex-knight slid his hands along the brunet's lithe torso. The dark fabric of the black sleeveless undershirt bunched up to reveal the creamy skin of Squall's abs.

As his left hand found placement at a pale and slender neck, he snatched the remote from the cushions and turned the television off.

A small tremor ran through Squall's body as he heard the nearly inaudible click of the TV shutting off. The sound wasn't sexy in the least, but it was indicative of the blond knight's intentions. It was like the rustling of discarded clothing, the clatter of his belts hitting the floor one by one, the sound of buttons being torn from a shirt that wouldn't come off quickly enough, or the thud of boots tossed to the ground haphazardly.

Seifer felt the brunet shiver against him, no complaint coming for turning the news off. Tightening his grip on Squall's neck, just enough to remind the trusting kitten that the big bad sorceress knight had him in a very vulnerable position. His point must have been made, for the pulse drumming steadily began to increase, though he had a feeling that the accompanying gasp was more a sound of arousal than fear. There was no instilling fear in this boy, but he could make Squall feel just about everything else.

Leaning in, Seifer licked along the length of Squall's neck. Obviously responsive to his advances, the brunet followed his lead and tilted his head to the side. Cradling Squall's head, the blond started with a sensitive ear, teasing the silky lobe, grazing it between his teeth.

It wasn't until Seifer began tonguing Squall's ear that elegant fingers grappled to fist the loose material of the knight's pants. As those hands pushed at his thighs for leverage to rub against his groin, the ex-knight nearly stopped and turned the brunet to face him. It was as if the greatest pleasure the Commander could find was his cock buried inside that 'screw me into the ground ass'.

"I like you in black," he whispered, his lips pressed right against Squall's ear. "I like you better in nothing." Licking the shell of the brunet's ear, feeling yet another shutter wrack through that succulent body, he hissed huskily, "I like you best with my dick buried inside your sexy little ass."

Squall's right hand shot up to tangle in silky blond hair, raking his fingers through it and disheveling it from well-mannered placement. Though the brunet craned his head further to the left, it wasn't to shy from the almost ticklish feel of the knight's tongue. "I've never heard a better example of comparatives and superlatives," he said.

Seifer hummed in agreement. Without warning, he slipped his right hand beneath the loose waist of dark denim jeans, sneaking passed the cotton briefs and giving a warm fondling to the brunet's hardening length.

"Nnh," Squall sounded in a stifled moan.

As the brunet melted in his arms, Seifer directed Squall to lie down. Spooned against the younger man's back, the blond continued his actions and gave a firm stroke. The protesting hand that grasped the sleeve of his shirt tugged half heartedly to draw him away. He understood the message, that too much at once would cause the brunet to climax right then.

"I'll make you come as many times as possible Princess, the night is young," Seifer assured.

"Seifer," the brunet gasped, eyes closing at the knight's calloused thumb kept a gentle touch while sweeping over the tip of penis.

Seifer shifted, settling more atop the brunet than behind. Removing his hand from its torturous pleasure, he slid down that tantalizing body and settled between parted legs. With a deft trick of his hand, those jeans were opened. Pulling the pants down, he gave a firm grope to shapely buttocks.

A soft whimper escaped pout lips as the blond laved the head of his penis, teasing him in only a manner Seifer ever could. As the knight kneaded his cheeks, forever obsessed with that particular part of his anatomy, he arched into the touch. Just as wet heat encompassed his cock, probing fingers pressed against his entrance.

It was too much all at once. The plunging feel of Seifer's fingers, pushing in and out of him, interlaced with a sort of pain that he'd become a masochist for. The sucking mouth that bobbed on and off his leaking member.

Squall tried to spread his legs wider, but his jeans hanging around his thighs stopped him.

Seifer slipped his fingers that weren't thrusting in and out of the brunet, to massage neglected balls. He hardly had to worry about bucking hips when the brunet was writhing between two pleasures, unable to find a preferred direction to thrust.

As the bittersweet fluid became more prominent, he knew Squall was close. Inserting a third finger, knowing that an imitation of his cock would mean filling that tight hole further, he also attempted that swallowing motion Squall seemed capable of doing so well.

"Seifer," Squall panted, "I'm close." It was soon, but what did drawing it out matter when he had promises of more.

Seifer knew without being told. The simpering moans that followed were only ever given when the brunet had no force of mind to keep back what were, in the younger man's opinion, embarrassing sex sounds. However, that elated voice, short of breath and lusting with carnal need shot straight to his throbbing cock.

Instead of grazing the pale young man's sweet spot every so often, he rubbed against the area with each thrust of his fingers. A panting and moaning Squall was the sexiest damn thing in the world. He was nearly ready to come in his pants. He'd never drink again or pick up smoking, and he'd promise to be a good boy if only to live for another eighty years with this writhing brunet.

With a cry of the blond knight's name, Squall came. His muscles were so tense as he arched that he feared his back would spasm. However, he didn't move until Seifer had sucked him dry.

Collapsing limply against the couch, blue eyes watched as the blond straightened his clothing, dressing him once more. Before he could question what Seifer was doing, knowing full well that the ex-knight was in dire need of a blowjob or quick fuck, the blond looked at him and gave a very subtle shake of the head.

Frowning, Squall cast a glance towards the tent in his lover's pants, and then looked back up into stark green eyes.

A knock came at the door, startling the brunet a bit. Squall shot a surprised glance toward the small alcove. Turning back to the blond, he asked, "How'd you-"

Seifer cut the brunet off with amused chuckling. He was brimming with pride at the moment. "They've been knocking for the past couple of minutes."

A light blush graced Squall's cheeks. He hadn't noticed, slightly too wrapped up in something else.

Seifer grinned. "Who needs reassurances when they have you," he chuckled, entirely endeared by his blushing partners state of lustful unawareness. Crawling atop the smaller man, he kissed those soft lips deeply, sharing the lingering taste of release.

"Who is it?" Seifer called out, reluctantly pulling away as more knocking came.

"Squall? Are you in there? It's me," came an all too familiar voice.

Seifer went rigid, green eyes narrowing dangerously. What was she doing here? He wondered if Caraway's baby girl knew he didn't discriminate against people he didn't like.

"Squall?" Quistis called out, "I out here too. Can we come in?" After a brief pause, the Head Instructor added on, "Are you decent?"

"Just finishing up," Seifer replied, loud enough for the visitors to hear. Following the heavy thud of the blond making contact with the floor was the sulking defense of, "It's the truth."

Giving a glare, Squall tried to look angrier than he felt. However, as he took notice of the handsome knight's impervious grin, he realized it was useless. Crawling from the couch, the brunet joined the older boy on the floor.

"You wanna answer the door?" Seifer asked, licking his lips as the sultry brunet literally crawled close and sidled between his legs.

"Not really," Squall whispered.

Seifer inhaled deeply, lying right down on the floor, slightly cramped between the couch and coffee table. "I've created a monster," he hissed as Squall slid that sinful body along top his, focusing on the friction against his hardened cock.

With a small smile and a seductive gleam in blue eyes, Squall shot the knight down, "You give yourself too much credit." He gave a testing roll of his hips, pressed right against the knight's rock hard bulge.

When Seifer's head connected with the floor, a deep groan pouring over his lips, he nearly missed the amused smirk his kitten had. Delicious thoughts were brewing in that pretty head.

"We'll meet you in the cafeteria!" the blond called out. They always met in the cafeteria, especially when it would be empty.

There was a moment before a reply came. It was Quistis. "Five minutes!" she ordered. "You two better be fully dressed and not have your hands down each others pants."

Squall's eyes widened, a little surprised at the Head Instructors words. She sounded sternly reprimanding beneath that light tone. Perhaps keeping their activities within the confines of their apartment, for the most part, didn't make the frequency any less noticeable.

* * *

It was a little after eight. The sky was dark and the weather frigid. The cafeteria was empty, the dreary winter weather and prospect of classes the next day drove all cadets back to their dorms early.

Rinoa shivered slightly, grateful when her order of a latte with extra sugar came. She smiled at the quaint red haired woman who brought it to her. It wasn't until the woman sat down and Quistis began talking with her that she realized the redhead was more than a waitress.

"Are you going to take time for a honeymoon outside of Garden? I mean, you're still working for the festival and all," Quistis said matter-of-factly.

Smiling shyly, Greta shook her head. "I love it here, and I love to bake too. I still have plenty of time with Zell. Next weekend we're going to visit Ma Dincht."

"Does Selphie know?" the blonde instructor questioned warily.

"We'll be here for the big night of course," Greta assured.

Confused doe eyes shot back and forth between each woman. "Am I missing something?" Rinoa asked.

Crystal blue eyes stared from behind wire-rimmed glasses. Truthfully, Quistis found it easy to forget Rinoa was even there. The raven-haired girl hadn't spent a whole lot of time in Balamb Garden even while dating the Commander and never seemed too keen on knowing the group personally. It wasn't that the younger girl hadn't cared about them, but given that they all had a track record together, Rinoa had always been more interested in the present and future, never the past that didn't include her.

"This is Greta Dincht," Quistis introduced in an almost prideful manner.

Rinoa stared, waiting for the punch line.

If Quistis didn't feel guilty about her words and actions, she would have been likely to handle the situation just like Seifer. However, she took pity on the younger woman's inability to pick up on her exact words. "Zell's wife," she added with a raise of eyebrows that asked if she understood now.

"Is that a joke?" Rinoa asked, turning to glance at the redhead. Her tone was serious, wondering if she'd missed the punch line again. The older woman was a few years older, a few pounds heavier, and nothing at all like she imagined a war hero marrying. Pretty but not beautiful, and not nearly as hyped up as Zell. Selphie seemed like a good match for Zell, and maybe a really sexy older woman could step in for Irvine.

Quistis could tell that Greta wasn't exactly comfortable at the moment. The head chef knew all about Rinoa, and everyone else Zell had ever known. Though the blonde instructor didn't necessarily pick up on it herself, Zell assured her that Greta was far more talkative in more private settings.

"They might be young, but I can't say I've seen a better married couple." Quistis considered the scrutiny Rinoa seemed to be doing and the shy gaze of Garden's head chef towards herself, as if asking what the joke would have been.

A slight anger flared within the blonde woman, an emotion she wouldn't have considered harboring during office hours. Reaching out, she squeezed Greta's resting hand. "Zell is like a brother to me. Selphie and I are glad to have our odds evened out, now we're three for three. Without Ellone around, I never experienced having an older sister." Greta was actually only a couple years older than herself.

"Thank you," Greta said softly, her voice sincere and warm.

Rinoa frowned. Was she to assume that Quistis had never considered her like a sister? Hadn't she been practically engaged to Squall? Did that mean Squall wasn't like a brother?

"Hey baby!" the spiky haired boxer called from behind the long serving counter, exiting from kitchens.

Jogging closer, Zell grinned broadly at his wife, not even noticing the other two ladies until a few steps away. His grin faltered, baby blue eyes staring at Rinoa. It had only been a few weeks since the break up, and prior to that the raven-haired girl hadn't exactly visited him on a daily basis.

It was probably a couple months too late to take sides, but for Zell it was then that he reminded himself just whom he'd be rooting for. Squall was his Commander, his friend, and his asocial brother who shook hands instead of hugged.

"Hi Zell," Rinoa greeted with a smile.

In that moment, Zell recalled the haggard, exhausted image of the Commander only a few weeks ago. Rinoa had left, pushing Squall to work overtime on top of already working overtime. And here she was smiling as if none of it had ever happened.

While Zell wasn't exactly one hundred percent comfortable with Squall and Seifer hooking up, the truth was that Squall never looked better or happier, that is as happy as someone who never smiles can look.

"Are you here to see Squall?" the blond boxer asked as evenly as he could, trying to imitate the Commander.

Rinoa's smile faltered. If she didn't know any better, she'd say Zell wasn't really glad to see her. "Yeah," she answered.

Zell reached out a hand for his wife. They had plans for a late dinner in their apartment. As Greta stood up, he shot a furtive glance towards the young sorceress. "He's in love with Seifer you know."

"He told you that?" Rinoa questioned harshly, eyes wide in disbelief.

Quistis pinched the bridge of her nose, a gesture she swore she'd caught from Squall. At least now she didn't have to subtly find out why the raven-haired girl had shown up.

"No, he told me that," Seifer said, striding closer. His hand was firmly entwined with the Commander's, tugging the reluctant brunet along.

"This is our cue babe," Zell said to Greta.

Seifer eyed Zell mischievously, an insult just begging to be spoken aloud. However, the blond knight held his tongue, knowing the drill well enough. "Later Dincht," he said as the hyper fistfight trotted away, practically hopping circles around the shy red haired chef.

Turning to face the Head Instructor, Seifer pulled Squall closer and asked, "Are those two always in here?"

"Greta is our head chef. She runs the kitchens, and right now with Selphie's special treats, she's coming in early and leaving later," Quistis explained. As an afterthought, she added, "And Zell always hung out here."

"Thanks," Seifer said with a condescending smile, as if to say his question had been rhetorical.

"Seifer, don't be an ass," Squall warned.

"Would you ask a fish not to swim?" Seifer questioned, releasing Squall's hand and wrapping an arm around the smaller man. Holding that slender frame close, he regarded the raven-haired woman with a taunting smirk. Squall was his, and he'd flaunt it every chance he could.

Huffing indignantly, Rinoa straightened in her seat. How could she have dated such a jerk? Staring at the blond knight, she was forced to remember what the attraction had been. Seifer was absolutely gorgeous in a rugged '_I'm a real man'_ sort of way. Her father had been furious with her for dating Seifer, since the older man wasn't exactly boyfriend material.

"Bonsoir," the ex-knight greeted with a curt nod of his head.

"You can be a real jerk sometimes Seifer, you know that?" Rinoa exclaimed with a hurt look.

"Relax," Seifer shot back, "I won't speak in foreign tongues if you promise you're not here to reconcile with my boyfriend."

"Oh grow up. How is Squall your boyfriend? Two men together just doesn't work."

Quistis wondered if it was Rinoa's principles talking or another case of the naïve girl being slow.

"I assure you it works quite well," Seifer said lecherously.

"I don't even want to think about it," Rinoa commented indignantly.

As Seifer's eyes sparkled with mischief once more, Squall found that he really didn't feel like stopping the blond knight.

"You'd sing a different tune if you knew what a minx he is in the sack. I'm telling you, this sexy ass of his isn't just for show." Emphasizing his point, he clapped a hand to Squall's butt, letting the noise make his statement.

"Squall, are you going to let him talk about you like this?" Rinoa asked incredulously.

Squall frowned at the raven-haired sorceress' tone of voice. She made it seem like he was her boyfriend and should rebuke Seifer's words because they'd insulted her. With a small shrug, he pointed out, "It wasn't an insult."

"Squall!" Rinoa cried in disbelief.

Seifer laughed, loving how he brought out every side of Squall so well. From the sultry kitten, he'd somehow managed to push the brunet into being impassive in a devious way. It was rich.

Quistis stood up, feeling that this really wasn't a conversation that should include her. She did have a few things to say before she left though. "Squall," she directed her comment, "Tomorrow we're having breakfast at Laguna's apartment, he wants to cook for everyone." A small smile graced her face at this. "It's at seven, don't be late."

"You don't have to play the go between Quistis, I actually do want Laguna here," the Commander reassured.

"Well, you might want to tell him that."

Squall eyed the blonde instructor keenly. "Give him more credit. He's insecure about it all, but he knows."

Quistis didn't bother to hide her surprise. She gave a nod of acceptance, as if Squall had given her an order. Truthfully, she was proud and unable to suppress her formal nature. Somewhere along the line, Squall had matured just a little bit more. She'd been concerned about the whole father-son relationship, but it seemed like the Commander was handling it just fine, which was shocking given the boy's record for ineptitude with emotional relations.

Forgetting herself for a moment, Quistis almost forgot what she was doing. "I wanted to apologize for what I said after the conference. I was just upset, I didn't mean it like it sounded."

"I never thought you did," Squall returned simply.

"Hey, wait a minute. My feelings were really hurt," Seifer chimed in.

Squall cast Seifer a sardonic glare.

"Right, never mind," the knight dismissed. His princess seemed picky about his behavior tonight, letting some things slide and others not.

"Seifer," Quistis turned her attention to blond knight, "Don't pick on Rinoa. Don't say anything you wouldn't in front of Ma Dincht or Matron. And for Hyne's sake, keep your hands off the Commander in public." She was of course referring to the incident outside of Fred's Diner the day before. She wondered if the ex-knight had waited for the only group of people in the entire town to walk by before pulling the brunet into a kiss that bordered somewhere between soft-core porn and the stuff featured in Irvine's collection of porn films.

"You still tripping over that Trepe? I thought you were into voyeurism. If it's a public thing, come by our place later, we can give you a much better show."

Quistis just shook her head, smirking slightly when the ex-knight jumped at the twisting pain of being pinched on the back of the hand by Squall. Turning to the last person present, and the only person seated, she regarded Rinoa evenly. "Rinoa, it may not seem like it right now, but Squall and Seifer are truly better for what they are together."

With the evenly paced click of heels, Quistis walked away.

"Can we please talk alone?" Rinoa requested of Squall.

Considering the number of times the same request had come up before and just what had happened in the end, Squall didn't even bother glancing to Seifer. "I'm afraid not," he replied.

Seifer smiled arrogantly at the brown eyed pampered princess, who was nothing like his princess.

Sitting down, Seifer directed Squall to take the seat opposite Rinoa, figuring it placed the most distance between his lover and the ex-girlfriend. Shuffling his chair closer, he took the brunet's hand in his, though he let shy young man keep it under the table.

"My dad's been calling me since Friday," Rinoa began, realizing she would not be getting her way. "He's furious with me and you. He says it's all my fault, for leaving like that and making the press poke their noses into it."

Seifer scoffed. "Do you want a note or something? Get the Commander to attest that it was over between you two before it even started? Or maybe Caraway wants a different sort of note, the kind that the press can print in the papers, one that says he was on drugs during the press conference and that me 'n him aren't actually fucking."

"Do you have to be so crude? I might not be best friend's with my dad, but I don't want you talking about him like you know him."

"Trust me sweetheart, I know his kind," Seifer returned with contempt.

"What does the General want?" Squall interjected before the two took their spat to another level. Rinoa might not stand a chance, but she didn't exactly know just how ruthless Seifer could be. All the war hype gave her the impression that she was as good as any SeeD out there.

"He wants you to come and see him," she replied tentatively.

"Then the General can make that request himself," Squall affirmed.

"It's personal though. He wants to talk to you like civilian mannered," Rinoa bit her lip as she tried to figure the proper phrasing, "Like, not as the Commander, you know?"

Squall nodded in understanding. "That's still a request he should make himself, not send you here for."

"Well," Rinoa continued, "He thought it'd be a good idea if I came to see you again and maybe stuck around."

"Why exactly would the General want that? And what does he have to discuss with me that is a personal matter?"

Seifer remained silent, not liking the conversation at all. Daddy's girl was playing at something, he could feel it. Beneath that whole broken home exterior, she was totally smitten with her father, spoiled and doted upon endlessly by the man. Now she was here acting as though she and her father were fighting again, as if she was reluctant to do his bidding. It just didn't seem right.

"He wants us to work things out," Rinoa admitted, "I know what you said last time, and I understand. It's just, he's really angry at me and I thought that if I came here and spent some time with you, he'd back off."

Squall almost laughed. Was this a joke? Just who had the right to interfere in his love life other than himself? With a sigh, he said, "I'd never turn you away." At the near painful grip on his hand, he cast a glance toward Seifer. The knight appeared far less than enthused about the idea. "It's fine," he whispered.

Frowning, Seifer regarded the raven-haired woman with suspicion. "You staying here doesn't mean you get to see Squall all the time."

Bristling uncomfortably, Rinoa cast her eyes to the table where her forgotten drink sat. "I know," she mumbled.

The acceptance of not seeing Squall came far too easily in Seifer's opinion.

"Why does the General want to see me?" Squall asked again.

"I don't know, he wouldn't tell me."

"You're lying," Seifer accused right away.

"I'm not!" Rinoa defended angrily.

Sighing, Squall figured it had everything to do with him being Commander, but requesting him on an official matter would mean the General couldn't lecture him. "Tell him to contact me himself if he needs something. I don't play fetch for anyone." Squall was not looking forward to another incident like with Headmaster Martine.

"Okay," Rinoa said dejectedly. After a minute, when it became apparent that the discussion was over and she was going to be left alone, she commented, "You look real good Squall."

"No thanks to you," Seifer spat.

"You too Rinoa. I hope we can work past this."

Smiling up at the pale Commander, Rinoa studied the effeminate features with interest. Squall was a whole other type of handsome. He was a pretty handsome, the sort of man who could easily be mistaken for a woman, and a beautiful one at that. The Commander was eye candy that she'd so enjoyed having her arm entwined with at public functions. He really did look better now, more vibrant than she'd ever seen him. Everything must have started to settle down for him, giving him time for more rest.

She'd have to watch what she said about this new relationship. Squall actually seemed to think it was something legitimate, not at all agreeing to her earlier words about it. Still, how could two men be lovers? It just didn't make any sense, how would they have children? They might be able to fool around with each other, but nothing in the long run.

TBC…

A/N So there's some definite mayhem ahead. For some reason, my typos and errors numbers were really high as I read through it again, so I'm almost certain there are some I didn't catch. I'll get them later, but for now, please just excuse them. I wanted to thank everyone who reviewed for the last chapter and for the one-shot I posted the other day. Thank you guys.


	19. Chapter 19

Chapter Nineteen

Hockey and Eggs

"Somehow I have a hard time picturing you as a pro player," Seifer commented as he turned the volume up.

The blond knight sat leisurely on a soft leather couch in President Loire's quarters. He was more sprawled than sitting, effectively taking up more room than necessary.

"Who's playing?" Laguna inquired from within the kitchen, the door open and allowing for his voice to carry out.

"Some team I've never heard of and the Galbadian Slappers," Seifer answered with his eyes focused on the screen.

Squall sauntered out of the kitchen, drying his hands on a dishrag. Gray-blue eyes moved from the handsome knight's form to the large screen depicting various hockey players skating around like brain dead jocks.

Rolling his eyes, the brunet turned away to join his father once more.

"I was just a bench warmer," Laguna admitted sheepishly, his voice coming from some place even more distant within the kitchen.

"Better luck next time Loire," Seifer consoled mockingly.

In the kitchen, Laguna beamed at his son. With a mop in one hand, he declared, "I found it in the pantry."

Squall nodded absently, tearing his focus away from the stove for a moment. "Thanks," he mumbled.

With a shake of long hair, Laguna refused to hand the mop over to his son. "It's my mess, I can clean it up."

It was around seven thirty and there was still no breakfast to be had. By the time Squall and Seifer had arrived, the longhaired President had managed to cake himself in flour, even though the older man had been making scrambled eggs.

Currently, the black and white patterned tiling of the floor was smeared with globs of ketchup and egg. It had been an unfortunate accident. Laguna had dropped the entire platter of eggs after tasting them and nearly gagging. Apparently, the man had never cooked a day in his life. As for how the ketchup wound up on the floor, even Squall couldn't remember, and he'd been in the kitchen when it happened.

With the hash browns nearly done, Squall turned the flame down to a simmer, and covered the skillet so that the seasoning would sit for a little longer. Working around Laguna, the young Commander used the last of the eggs in the carton for another try at scrambled eggs.

By the time Laguna had finished cleaning the floor, Squall was eyeing the older man out of the corner of his eyes. Giving a soft sigh, the brunet said, "Would you mind finishing these up? Just stir them slowly, make figure eights."

Hazel green eyes brightened at the prospect of being helpful. Rushing to toss the mop and bucket into a nearly empty pantry, Laguna had returned to his son's side before the clatter of the cleaning instrument falling over sounded.

Squall couldn't help a small smile at this. "Thanks," he muttered as he stalked into the living room.

Seifer grinned as Squall slid into place next to him. "What's your dad up to?" the blond questioned mischievously.

"Stirring the eggs," Squall replied, not certain what Seifer was really getting at, but knowing by the look in those stark eyes that something was coming.

"Sure that's safe?" the older boy asked while shifting to sit up straighter.

Giving a disapproving frown over commenting against the kindhearted President, Squall assured, "The batteries in the smoke detector are new."

"So how much time do we have?" Seifer pressed, casually sliding an arm around the lithe Commander's shoulders.

"Not sure, a couple minutes maybe," Squall answered truthfully, now knowing where this was going. Licking his lips, he edged closer.

Seifer raised a hand, green eyes fixed on plush lips. Cupping the brunet's narrow chin, he ran a thumb across the soft flesh he enjoyed kissing for endless amounts of time. "Are you still upset about Martine?" the ex-knight questioned quietly.

Squall gave an almost imperceptible nod, not enough to disturbed the knight's thumb from his lip. As Seifer moved the hand at his chin to trail caressing fingertips across his cheek, his breath hitched. Gazing steadily into penetrating green eyes, he said, "It's only going to get worse."

"But it's worth it," Seifer said, more a question than a statement.

"Yes," Squall admitted, leaning into the blond's hand more fully, feeling the warm palm against his skin. "I wonder," he continued without much forethought behind his direction of words, eyes drooping slightly at the simple pleasure of being touched.

"You wonder what?" Seifer pressed when the brunet didn't finish.

Suddenly, gray-blue eyes seemed to realize that something had been spoken prematurely. Squall gave a dismissive shake of his head, not willing to finish his line of thought.

Reading his former rival like an open book, Seifer decided that there was some notion or thought brewing within the dangerously expansive reaches of Squall's mind. "What's going on in that pretty little head of yours Leonhart?"

Biting his lip, Squall hesitated for a moment longer. It was annoying how easily Seifer managed to pick up on every single thought he had. It was that otherworldly gift that had always cracked his shell and pushed him to interact when no one else could even obtain his acknowledgement that they existed.

However, half-baked notions were not something Squall gave much credence to. He needed time to mull it all over before saying anything.

Leaning closer, Squall pressed his lips against Seifer's. A quick kiss became slow and lingering as the blond knight gripped the back of his head and held him near.

Seifer pulled back and rest his forehead against the evading brunet's. "If I didn't find you irresistible at the moment, I'd make you tell me."

Breaking away, the Commander moved his head to nuzzle the knight's neck. "Tell you what?" the younger man inquired innocently. Squall shifted, resting his hands on the blond's muscular thighs, practically leaning right into the knight's lap. Pressing closer, he grazed his lips over Seifer's ear. "That I love you?"

With a soft thud, the cushions absorbing the impact, Squall was on his back with the broad formed knight atop him.

Kissed with sensual roughness, Squall felt his breath stolen and his heartbeat drum loudly. Tufts of his hair were fisted in strong hands, holding him in place while the blond roved his mouth. It was a welcomed intrusion that he met with his own tongue, wetly returning the fevered action.

It was probably a good thing that Seifer's tongue was currently entangled with his own, for more than obvious reasons. Squall was entirely susceptible to every sort of touch Seifer gave him. From gentle to rough, chaste to carnal, it all made him weak and consumed. If the ex-knight were to draw back and question him, he'd probably babble like an idiot and speak every notion his love struck mind was creating.

Seifer's hand seemed to have its own agenda, as it left silky strands and snuck beneath the brunet's thin white t-shirt. Groping each inch of warm flesh, his hand brushed along a hardening nipple.

As a rhythm was made, the exchange only deepened. Soft moans emitted from the brunet seemed to vibrate indistinguishably from the soft groans of pleasure given off by the blond.

Squall arched into the touch that pinched his nipple. Seifer's other hand left lengthy strands and hooked beneath a slender leg to hitch the brunet's knee higher, thus admitting him for fully between parted legs.

It was at the interrupting cough that circumstance and setting suddenly washed back over the pair.

"Perhaps you'd like to eat now and stop making out with my son," Laguna commented rather seriously, eyeing the blond knight with reprimand.

Seifer smiled proudly. He was caught red handed, his lips slick and reddened with guilt. Caught for the crime of molesting the President's son, he simply hovered over the smaller brunet with an impish gleam in his eyes.

Mixed blue eyes found interest in studying the tanned man's strong features. Regardless of his father standing nearby, Squall felt the urge to trail his lips and tongue along the hollow of the blond's throat and the hard muscles of that broad chest.

Still, Squall was not impervious to his current situation. Lying beneath the older boy was quite enjoyable, but it was a pleasure best experienced in privacy.

Seifer knew very well just how head over heals in love Laguna was with Squall, strictly in a clean sense of fatherly affection. Squall could have reversed their positions and rode him before the President's very eyes and he would still be the one in trouble. Squally boy could do no wrong in the eyes of the former Galbadian soldier. Whereas he would always be a big bad wolf, hounding the younger man incessantly.

"Can you blame me Loire? It takes a good man to even let your son out of the bedroom." Seifer quite enjoyed complementing himself whenever possible. He was most definitely a good man. He was murderer, a former sorceress knight, and tended to piss people off, but he was still a good man. For Squall, he'd be the greatest man to ever live.

Squall gave a groan of annoyance at the blond's antics. "Stop picking on him," he hissed through clenched teeth. "If he kicks you out, I'm staying with him."

Seifer looked mildly hurt at this, pouting with exaggeration. "You'd choose your dad over me?" Whispering only loud enough for the brunet to hear, Seifer added, "Only one of us can give you what you really need."

Finding that Seifer was too cocky in this statement, Squall replied quietly while shifting to move, "I can always borrow a vibrator from one of the girls."

Green eyes widened in shock, never expecting such a comment to be spoken by his princess. Squall was a minx with that lithe body, but usually never with words. Perhaps he truly was rubbing off on the brunet.

As the pair stood up, Seifer said, "Your tongue has sharpened Leonhart. I'll have to put it to good use from now on."

With a click, the hockey game was off and the remote tossed to the couch.

"The eggs are getting cold," Laguna commented before brusquely turning back to the kitchen.

Squall gave a soft smile in his father's direction. Maybe both he and Quistis were wrong. Not only was Laguna aware that he was still just as willing to build their relationship up as on that day at the docks, but the President didn't seem to be nearly as insecure about being his father as he'd initially perceived.

"You're cold today princess," Seifer said, stepping up behind the brunet. With his arms wrapping around the smaller man, he pressed his lips against soft chocolate brown tresses.

Squall reached up to scratch behind the blond's ear like he'd do with Gabriel, only he trailed his fingers through golden blond hair of a much larger creature. "I'm beginning to like him despite everything about him that should annoy me. It reminds me of you."

"He's your dad, of course you're going to like him." Seifer chose to ignore the implication that Squall found anything remotely annoying about him.

Sighing, Squall shrugged. "I never really imagined it feeling like this."

"Like what?" the blond questioned with interest, wondering what exactly his little lion was feeling.

"I could be at the office right now, getting an early start on my work," the Commander commented with a slight frown.

Seifer chuckled. "Or you could be in bed with me, getting an early start on all those lustful needs you have."

A light jab to the tall knight's stomach expressed Squall's opinion. "I'd rather be here," the brunet admitted softly. He wasn't expressing his preference of having breakfast with his father over having sex with Seifer, and by the tone he'd used the blond would know that much.

Seifer gave an exaggerated sigh. "Fine, I won't pick on him anymore. But if the guy monopolizes my time with you, he's going back to Esthar."

Shaking his head softly, Squall didn't reply. He was grateful, and Seifer probably already knew it.

"Besides," the knight continued, "With little Rinny back, I get the benefit of an easy target and the venting of actually meaning what I say."

"You always mean what you say," Squall pointed out, ignoring the easy target comment.

"Like when I say you're unbelievably sexy," Seifer stated proudly, squeezing the brunet's frame more tightly, feeling it fit within his arms and against his chest perfectly.

"Laguna's waiting," Squall reminded, not willing to end up back on the couch so soon after being lightly reprimanded.

"Hey Squall," Seifer said, trailing along toward the kitchen. "I was thinking," the usually blunt knight began tentatively, waiting for the brunet to respond.

"Want a gold star for that?" Squall questioned with a playful smirk.

"Funny," Seifer commented wryly before turning serious again. "About that vibrator, it's not such a bad idea." Maybe if they started small, he could eventually talk Squall into a few other kinky scenarios that were currently nothing more than wet dreams.

Blushing furiously, Squall went rigid. Aside from the fact that Seifer hadn't bothered to lower his voice, effectively letting the longhaired President hear every word as they were just inside the kitchen, it was an embarrassing suggestion. He'd said it in jest before, not giving it any real thought.

Pinching the bridge of his nose, the brunet chose to act like the question had never been asked and that his father wasn't blushing nearly as much as himself.

By mid morning, between nine and ten, Laguna and Seifer had reconciled.

The oddly matched pair, who had nothing in common except for mutual interest in Squall, sat next to each other as the end of the hockey game played out.

Squall had excused himself to phone Quistis from the office just upstairs.

The interrupting knock at the door drew both the blond and the President from their developed commentating on how pathetic the Slappers were.

The raven-haired man who apparently held no team spirit in light of Martine's stance on his son's gay relationship, stood to answer the caller.

The appearance of a doe eyed young woman outside his door was not what Laguna had been expecting. In fact, he'd thought it might be Kiros. Just last night, he'd been sent a letter from Headmaster Martine and been told to handle it sternly by Kiros, who doubted his ability to be firm enough.

Hazel green eyes widened suddenly, as concern flooded his usually warm gaze. Turning from the open door, the President stumbled a step back before remembering he had someone to deal with the most immediate situation.

Laguna had forgotten about the letter from Martine, which he'd left on the desk out in the open. If Squall saw it, the stubborn boy would have yet another mess to deal with.

Feeling antsy about rushing upstairs and making certain the document wasn't seen by sharp gray-blue eyes, the longhaired President settled for getting rid of Rinoa quickly.

"Good morning," he greeted, rushing each syllable.

In the background, Seifer craned his head to the side to try and see whom Loire was talking to. It wasn't a big deal with Squall out of sight. But when the returned morning greeting came from an all too chipper sounding young woman, the blond stiffened.

Grumbling, Seifer crossed his arms after turning the television off to better hear every word exchanged.

Laguna blinked, waiting for the young woman to explain her presence. It was actually quite odd for anyone to visit him personally. Much like the Commander and instructors, his quarters were strictly private.

Rinoa gazed at the older man expectantly, waiting to be invited in. When it seemed like he was also waiting for her to do something, obviously not to step inside since his larger frame blocked the way, she spoke, "I came to see Squall, are you guys still eating?"

Laguna felt kind of bad for the negative feelings he harbored towards the raven-haired girl. She spoke sweetly with a slight caution over interrupting his breakfast. Yet, she'd dumped his son. There was no one better in the world than Squall, and knowing the boy had been worried sick over his girlfriend's disappearance made him a little hesitant to remain on good terms with her.

"Squall is upstairs, he's talking with Quistis," the former soldier replied easily, trying and failing to make his voice sound terse.

Rinoa's eyebrows rose in question. "Can I come in?"

Laguna almost pouted at the situation he found himself in. He wanted to refuse, but found it quite impossible to reject her like that.

"No," came Seifer's baritone voice, firm with a dangerous edge.

In all honesty, Seifer's attitude towards Rinoa was not spurred by jealousy or possessiveness. Squall was in love with him, no doubts about it. The Commander had never loved Caraway's kid. Rinoa was not even close to being competition for him. If Seifer had to worry about anyone, it was the lecherous cowboy.

What created the animosity, where there had previously been no qualms even after becoming her ex-boyfriend, was that Rinoa made Squall miserable. Anything that made Squall feel bad was subject to the gravest penalty.

It was quite simple actually. With Rinoa around it was bothersome. It was more stress when there was already too much going on.

"It's not your apartment," Rinoa said with a stomping foot forward.

Rolling his eyes, Seifer stepped closer. Taking in the nervous demeanor of the President, he concluded that the man with a golden heart couldn't express bad manners towards anyone.

"As the Commander's bodyguard, I reserve the right to screen all unofficial callers. Squall's busy right now. If you want to see him, come by his office around eleven."

"It is official," Rinoa protested. "I have word from my dad."

Chuckling at the dark haired girl's ineptitude in business matters, knowing she'd never done a professional thing in her life, the blond shook his head. "The Commander made it perfectly clear that if General Caraway wishes to speak with him, he must go through the proper channels."

"But he gave me a message," she protested further.

"I believe it was already stated that _you _do not qualify as a proper channel. The General can contact the Commander any time after eleven. Unless Squall speaks with Caraway directly, none of your little messages will be received."

Laguna was practically hopping from foot to foot in impatience. "I have to grab something," the President said before excusing himself quickly.

The moment Loire was out of earshot, Seifer stepped right into place at the door and let the true extent of his malice out. "You're not welcome here Rinny dear. You left. There are no second chances."

"I have friends here. Squall is my knight."

"Being a knight means nothing, I should know. The only bond between you two was severed the moment you rejected him."

"I didn't reject him," Rinoa stated solemnly, wishing more than anything to turn time back.

Seifer sneered at her. "Well you certainly didn't accept him. Stay away from us. You're not SeeD, you don't belong here."

"I fought just as well as anyone else. I helped defeat you and Ultimecia, in case you forgot," she pointed out.

"No," Seifer disagreed. "Squall did all the work with the help of his four childhood friends. You just confused him, made him think there was something wrong with the way he was. You added to his stress and got in the way."

"Look who's talking," Rinoa spat. "At least I didn't try to kill him!" she shouted.

With an arrogant smirk, Seifer didn't dispute the truth. "That was before I knew how much more fun it is to have sex with him. Now I only try to injure him, so that he's still lively for a good fuck."

Rinoa hated crude words and vulgar language. It was for this reason that Seifer mannered his response to hit her. It was already a sore subject since Squall had never slept with her.

Silence fell between them. Green eyes stared unabashed until brown eyes blinked.

"You're not getting in. See him later if you must," the blond told her before shutting the door on her.

A/N A little late and a little short, but it's still an update. I hope you liked it, regardless of the lack of plot movement. I'm slow going, I know. But, everything will unfold in time.

I wanted to mention once more that I'm not oblivious to how I've written and established each character. Seifer has all the jealous moments and seemingly none of his own admirers. This is done so on purpose.

Aside from already having an instance where Squall was the one jealous, if you recall his issue with having Seifer spending time alone with Commander Trent, it's not in his character. Women love Seifer, but Seifer's obsessed with Squall, and Squall isn't the jealous type so he doesn't even notice if women are looking at Seifer. That isn't to say that all the female cadets aren't ogling the handsome blond knight while drooling, it just means that Seifer's too busy looking at Squall and Squall is too busy thinking.

To have Squall go crazy with jealousy and get all possessive is untrue to his character. Seifer's the one with a hot temper and more likely to be over protective in his dominant male role.


	20. Chapter 20

Chapter Twenty

The Control Room

Squall blushed furiously as Quistis squeezed him with squealing enthusiasm. The Head Instructor seemed to have temporarily forgotten herself in her excitement, a reaction that was not wholly unwarranted if she'd been truly pining for the position. Still, Squall hadn't been expecting it.

Coughing to hide his discomfort, the Commander spoke tersely, "So, am I to assume you're accepting the position?"

Reeling back, keeping the pale brunet at arms length, Quistis gave him a comical look of incredulity past her wire-rimmed glasses. "Are you kidding?" she cried jovially. "Of course!"

It was impossible for Squall not to smile. He chuckled when the older girl seemed to settle a bit and realize his office doors were open, and that a tall blond knight was standing in the doorway with a mixture of jealousy and amusement in jade green eyes.

"So," Seifer remarked in his smooth baritone voice, "It's Headmistress Trepe now?"

Heaving a deep sigh, Quistis' only betrayal of excited joy was in her facial features, her lips unable to remain in anything but a smile. She said, "I guess I am."

Locking eyes with the storm blue irises of her Commander, Quistis was reminded all over again of why she loved this young man and just how wonderful he could truly be. His moments of forthright care for all of them were so rare that she often forgot that behind his icy exterior was the warm heart of a lion.

"Starting next semester," Squall spoke evenly as reminder, "I'll have all my files sent here, most of them are in my apartment."

"For the new curriculum," Quistis stated in part question.

The brunet gave a nod of affirmation.

Seifer seemed to have moved beyond the congratulatory stage, missing it entirely, and simply asked the questions he was interested in. "Is this still your office Leonhart?"

Rolling his eyes, Squall folded his arms. "No," he answered, more to Quistis than his pointedly unenthused boyfriend.

"But," the new Headmistress protested before being silenced by an upraised hand from the Commander.

"This was Cid's office as Headmaster, now it's yours."

Quistis bit her lip as her face contorted in a struggle not to cry. Her eyes were tearing up, and she cursed that she was becoming so emotional about it.

Squall watched her with growing guilt. For so long he'd kept two offices alone, entirely unawares to his former instructors desires. How blind he'd been, driven by work. His life would have been made easier if he'd done this months ago, yet he hadn't. He'd thought it wrong to even consider placing such a heavy burden on Quistis' shoulders, all the while over looking that to her it wouldn't have been a burden in the least.

The fact that the Head Instructor wouldn't find being Headmistress a burden, whereas he did, made her all the more qualified for the role.

* * *

With intense emotions nearly palpable in the air, though incongruent to the impassive game faces both fighters carried, Squall and Seifer sparred.

Lionheart's bright blade seemed to glow as if a visible beacon of the warrior wielding it, the neon blue never wavering in its illumination.

Squall's initial thoughts to further question the blond's serious wishes on their previous dispute dissipated in light of his own love of fighting and the distant battle cries of Shiva.

Sadly, he would not be using his Guardian Force, not against Seifer.

Seifer could hardly contain himself as he watched that beautifully lithe body dive in avoidance of a harsh swiping swing from Hyperion, rolling in only a manner that Squall could make graceful. The sharpness in those fierce gray eyes sent shivers through his body, and began to direct blood flow to his groin. Just knowing that this fierce lion was the very same sultry kitten that writhed in pleasure beneath him each night did wonders to dispel any doubts over the icy wall that currently betrayed no hint of his lover.

Working up a sweat, the two carried on for some time, panting before long.

Officially, there wasn't anything riding on this match. Unofficially, it had begun directly after an argument over kinking their sex life up a bit.

In all honesty, Seifer, who was pro perversions of all sorts, could die a happy man with the way things were. He could live ten lifetimes and never tire of making love to the beautiful young Commander, sine sex toys. Certainly, twenty years from now, Squall would not necessarily be so youthful and sinfully attractive, but neither would he. Though, if Loire was anything to go by, then Squall would remain hot forever.

The ex-knight's arousal did not escape Squall's attention. Seeing the hardening bulge became something of a distraction, his eyes continuously drawn to it.

"See something you like Leonhart?" Seifer asked in a would-be mocking tone, had it not come out so huskily.

Squall swung his gunblade forward, locking in a stagnant force of blade against blade, each struggling to push the other back.

Though Squall had gained back a scarce few pounds, it wasn't nearly enough to account for the change in vigor. Seifer's well-kept pet was apparently as good as new, surprising him with such solid resistance. He might have been bigger and stronger, but Leonhart was the most stubborn creature alive, backed up by sheer force of will.

Squall licked his lips, not chancing a glance down to the knight's prominent package. The brunet smirked at the momentary look of triumph in green eyes, eyes that were becoming mixed with lust despite being in the middle of a fight. "I can go on for hours, but how much longer can you wait to fuck me?"

Seifer gulped, victory over drawing his lover's attention gone. The choice word of 'fuck' was a rarity in the delicate brunet's vocabulary. It seemed to flow through him, setting his blood on fire.

Exhaling audibly, Seifer's shortness of breath no longer came form his excessive workout. "Not nearly long enough," the blond admitted, knowing of his partner's preference to copulate within closed quarters only.

Another wracking trill of pleasure went through the broad knight's body as stormy eyes scanned the area and the opposing pressure lessened. He loved how attentive the brunet was to his every need for release, which was quite frequent given the candy his eyes were constantly watching and the fact that he was only nineteen, a few days from twenty.

Nibbling on his lower lip, Squall debated with his inner angel and demon. He'd be hard put to turn the knight down, strictly enforcing his preference to keep their promiscuity away from all prying eyes. Yet, the locker room was nearby, and it wouldn't be the first time. Though, that had been the exact place he used as an example not to have sex in.

As it was, the Training Center was empty, so far as searching gray eyes could tell anyway. There were no classes this week, the winter holiday starting that very Monday. In light of Selphie's various festival activities, it would be unusual for cadets to be drawn to extra training. Though given that he and Seifer were there night and day as cadets, it would not be surprising to find a few senior cadets training with dedication.

Squall's indecision, which had only lasted a few moments, was apparently too long. While the Commander's focus was torn between scanning the thick foliage of the deeper reaches they'd stumbled into during their spar, Seifer tackled the smaller man.

With a painful thud, Squall was stunned to find himself pinned beneath the blond knight.

"Seifer," he reprimanded harshly, not even certain the locker room was private enough, let alone the middle of the Training Center.

"Fuck it," Seifer groaned, attacking the brunet's slender neck.

Squall rarely found fault in have such sensitive erogenous areas all over his body. However, as he moaned softly and arched to press more fully against the body above himself, he silently cursed such reactions.

"That's it," Seifer encouraged, loving to hear the brunet moan and whimper in utter ecstasy.

Chest heaving, partially from the spar that had continued for a good hour, Squall fought against his more carnal instincts. "Seifer, not here… too… too… ah, Hyne," he ended with exhaling simper over the knight's continued ministrations near his ear.

Considering the blond hadn't touched the Commander in such sexually demanding ways since the previous day, it felt like an eternity. Breakfast with Loire had woken them early and each event that followed, including another attempt by Rinoa to deliver the message from Caraway, had proved quite distracting.

Undulating in slow rocks, Seifer rubbed his hardening length against the firm body beneath him. It was painfully constricting to still be wearing his jeans, wanting nothing more than to be thrusting into the responsive brunet he was holding down now.

"Seifer," Squall gasped out, surprised to feel just how ready the blond was.

"I want you Squall, Hyne I want to fuck you right now," the ex-knight rasped as he took a silky earlobe between his teeth and teased it.

Biting his lip harshly to keep from crying out, Squall decided that if Seifer was this aroused, then it would be a quickie. Licking the abused flesh before mastering himself, the lusting Commander responded in a hushed voice, "Take me, but make it quick."

"A true romantic," Seifer retorted, though he was none too put off by the idea of making it just about finding release.

As the ex-knight started to push the thin material of his white shirt up, Squall stayed the attempt. "No," he asserted.

Seifer nearly came in his pants upon watching the limber fighter demonstrate just how this would be done. Deft fingers unbuckled a total of two belts at the waist of tight leather pants. Rocking back, Squall slid the material down, pushing both pants and briefs to bent knees.

With the aid of two hands gripping behind his knees, Squall pulled his legs to his chest. Pants at his ankles now, he exposed himself for the blond's pleasure.

Seifer did his best, thinking of the least erotic images, but found that nothing could keep his mind from becoming consumed at the sight of that puckered entrance exposed for his leaking cock to plunge into.

It was almost torturous to then have to fumble with the only lubrication on hand, a potion, and prepare that tight entrance for his engorged member. It was a task nearly unaccomplished. The only reprieve he found was in freeing his penis so that it had nothing to rub against.

Squall was still so tight that the knight found he always had to start with a single finger, unable fit not more unless he'd already fucked the ass an hour or so before.

The prostrated brunet was becoming quite aroused as well, the feel of the knight's probing finger setting him off. And, against all Squall's better judgment, it was something of a devious turn on to be so exposed with the threat of being caught.

Thrashing his head from side to side, the brunet suppressed the deep urge to moan unrestrained. "Just put it in," Squall requested impatiently.

"You're too tight baby," the blond groaned in exasperation. "Maybe I'm just too big," he added arrogantly.

"I like it that way," Squall sighed, now feeling two fingers press inside of him. It felt so good to be filled to the brink, overwhelmed by the initial pain and then complete ecstasy.

The ex-knight knew exactly what Squall liked, but that didn't mean he gave it to the smaller man every time. "It hurts you," Seifer placated, sensing that his anxious sex demon crave to be filled at that very moment.

"Please," Squall half whimpered when the blond raked over his prostate gland.

Seifer didn't need to be asked a third time. Without further preparation, such an entry would be painful even with liberal amounts of potion. The potion was thin as water, not even making for a good lubricant unless mixed with massage oil.

But, Squally-boy was no virgin anymore, having been taken countless times since their first night together only a month ago.

Coating his rock hard length, Seifer slowly pressed the mushroomed head against the brunet's small entrance.

"Just push it all in," Squall spoke with hitching anticipation.

"You're such a masochist," the blond stated, still intent on entering slowly.

Green eyes became transfixed with the sight of his swollen red organ slipping into the gripping depths of Squall's ass. Once the head was in, he could already feel the tight resistance, but knew he needn't guide himself further with the aide of his hands. Placing his hands at the back of Squall's knees, he took over for keeping them pressed back. He was a little surprised at just how far he was able to push the younger man's legs back, never having tried it to such an extreme before, never needing to in order to gain better access.

"Sweet Hyne, you're gorgeous," the ex-knight muttered as he gazed down at the brunet. Delicate features were drawn in a mixture of struggling patience and panting desire. Those pout lips were parted to take shallow breaths, while glimmering blue eyes seemed dazed with lust from behind nearly closed lids.

Too flustered to feel embarrassed, Squall did not blush at the comment. Though, he did whisper for the knight to shut up. How easily the tables turned. One moment, Seifer seemed unable to wait, and now he couldn't possibly spend another second without the ex-knight buried inside of him.

With a sigh of regret, Seifer pulled out. Just as the disturbed brunet was about to ask what he was doing, he carefully situated himself between Squall's legs. Instead of pressing as close as possible, he was now positioned with lithe legs wrapped around his waist. His regret was over having to hurt the pale Commander.

Without further speech, Seifer carefully pushed back in. When he was nearly as far as he'd gotten before, he thrust in the rest of the way.

"Nnh!" Squall stifled his anguished cry, biting down on his knuckle. It burned, searing pain that split him in twine. Chest heaving, a soft moan like whimper escaping every so often, the stormy eyed gunbladist rode the pain out.

A little angry, Seifer found he was able to frown even amidst the mind-blowing pleasure of being buried in delicious heat. "This what you wanted?" he chastised, reaching out to smooth choppy bangs from Squall's damp forehead.

While every innate sense screamed at Squall, telling him that anything painful was not logically pleasurable, he found himself loving every second that transpired with the blond inside him. It was as if his mind were separate from his body and heart, telling him it was like holding his hand over the fire for too long. Yet, his body would not squirm away, and his heart pounded madly within his chest.

"Yes," Squall hissed in reply, truly loving it. This was exactly what he wanted.

"Fuck, you really are a little masochist, aren't you," Seifer chuckled, somehow finding that quality entirely arousing and endearing. He was by no means the most well endowed man in existence. He'd read a few records in some shady magazines and seen more than a couple porn flicks to know. But, he was well hung, unable to imagine what Leonhart must feel at having his fully erect penis penetrating that tiny hole.

Before the blond could ask if Squall was adjusted, the brunet gyrated against him, bucking to begin the real fun.

By nature, despite public image, Seifer was not a cruel man. While Squall might be fully able to handle the pain, he was not inclined to give it. Sadism was not one of the many interesting characteristics of his dynamic personality. But, he was horny as hell and Squall seemed to want it hard.

Pulling out a bit, Seifer slammed back in, finding that his own pleasure did a lot to squash any further guilt. He wondered if there was some sort of butt clenching exercise Squall must be doing, unable to comprehend how tight the younger man could be each time.

"Seifer!" Squall called out without restraint, realizing too late that he needed to keep his voice down.

"Yes," Seifer answered encouragingly, intoxicated by the sound of Squall's voice during sex.

Gasping as the knight thrust into him, Squall clamped a hand over his mouth.

Seifer noticed the brunet's attempts at silence and felt compelled to make it a challenge for the enticing man. Gripping slim hips, he repeatedly pushed in hard, demanding thrusts. He pushed his cock as deep as it could go, determined to bury it deeper with each forceful entry.

A whole new sort of workout ensued. Mingled with panting gasps was the sound of their joining flesh, the slapping of Seifer's hips against smooth cheeks as he rutted with animalistic fervor.

Squall was desperate to keep his silence, stifling each moan as it dared to drift past parted lips. He could feel the scorching heat between them, feeling the sting of his skin as each slapping thrust was like a reprimanding spank.

Seifer was close, each furious thrust bringing him closer.

Too afraid to let lose any words, for fear that he'd start to cry out and moan, Squall squeezed his legs tighter around the knight's waist. He urged the blond to go harder.

Seifer nearly growled at the insistent tightening of legs, feeling muscles that the brunet didn't mean to use clamp around his cock. If Squall wanted him to come too soon, then the brunet had better keep it up, however, he intended to last a little longer. So, to stop Squall's attempts, the blond complied.

Thrusting so hard that he had to keep his hands gripping shapely hips with crushing force, he pounded into that lithe body. It was too much, too perfect. "Touch yourself," he grunted, unable to lose either of his hands, since they were the only thing keeping that light framed body in place.

The world melted away for Squall. Forgetting that he needed to keep quiet, forgetting that they could be caught, forgetting that he had a tiring agenda of new problems, he arched wildly and bucked as best he could against the tanned knight.

Barely hearing to blond's words, Squall reached out and began to stroke himself. They were long strokes at first, swirling precum around for lubrication, and then fast strokes to coincide with the blond's thrusts.

Throwing his head back, Seifer grunted as he gave a few final thrusts and ejaculated warm liquid within the sinful depths of that gripping entrance. As Squall spurt ribbons of cum shortly after his own climax, crying out a garbled mixture of his name and what he considered a vocalization of true ecstasy, he felt clamping walls milk him to the very last drop.

Collapsing, Seifer pinned Squall against the hard ground, knowing it was probably uncomfortable for the smaller man.

Gentle fingers raked through damp blond hair, brushing golden strands back from their unkempt placement. For the moment, Squall was too spent and sated to care that their prolonged exposure made the window of opportunity for being caught wider.

Seifer felt the usual surge of emotions, his heart filled with so many feelings that he felt he'd either burst or begin to cry. Considering he didn't cry, he feared that one day he might just die from it. In a reversal of their usual post sex positions, he remained against Squall's chest, giving a loving bite to the elegant curve of the boy's neck and shoulder.

The feel of delicate fingers in his hair was soothing. His muscles were a little sore. Sparring and screwing were two of the most taxing activities, especially when done one right after the other.

With great reluctance, Seifer shifted his weight, pulling out of the warm body below. The soft exhale of longing that escaped the pretty Commander let him know that he wasn't the only one regretting the end of their joining.

They both needed a shower. Squall was sticky with both sweat and semen, having come over his stomach, which in turn meant he needed a clean shirt.

The brunet raised his right hand, his left still stroking Seifer's hair. Tentatively, he licked his own seed.

It was a moment before Seifer caught sight of the arousing display. Oblivious, Leonhart was lapping away at the sticky white release as if it wouldn't give any man an immediate hard on. Swallowing thickly, Seifer asked, "What are you doing?"

Frowning at having to answer the obvious, Squall replied, "Just tasting. It's better warm."

"Fuck," Seifer breathed out, following it with a groan when the brunet continued.

Quirking a brow at the knight's curse, Squall ceased his actions. "Something wrong?"

"No," the blond assured mockingly. "Not if you intend to give me another erection."

Propping himself up, Seifer hovered over the pale beauty. Dipping down, he captured pliant lips, slipping his tongue inside Squall's mouth upon admittance. He tasted Squall, ambivalent about the unique bitter sweetness of his lover's seed, knowing he'd loath such a taste if it weren't from Squall.

When Seifer pulled back, he gazed into stormy blue eyes, relishing the moment of silence and after glow of having an orgasm. "I love you," he whispered before initiating another kiss.

Squall smiled into the kiss, drawing the blond's curiosity and making the man pull away once more. As questioning green eyes looked at him, he simply smiled. He found great joy in hearing those words, knowing each time they were spoken it was sincere. And, for the first time, he began to feel almost proud that he could return the sentiment, no longer embarrassed to admit his attachment. "I love you too," Squall said, knowing the knight hadn't been expecting him to say it.

For a very brief moment, Seifer thought he would indeed cry, but as the moment passed he found that his heart only skipped a beat and that his eyes did not water. How was it possible to feel so much for one person? How could his life be so dependent on having Squall in it?

Overcome with the demand for some expression of what he felt, deeper than the voicing of love that seemed to fall miles short, he crushed his lips to Squall's. With bruising force, he ravished the younger man, seeking to plunder the brunet's mouth with his tongue in a similar manner as he'd plundered that tight ass with his cock.

Before long, they were both consumed by the act. Seifer was becoming hard again, his softened length no longer inside Squall but constantly rubbing against the brunet.

Squall gazed upwards in a daze of lust. A wet trail of saliva trickled down his chin as he panted for air. He registered that Seifer's penis was well on its way to becoming hard again.

"I can make it to the showers," Seifer said, more a suggestion of where they would do it next than a request that they'd do it so soon at all. Squall's appetite for sex was nearly as veracious as his. The only thing keeping it down was the impassive attitude and oblivious nature to many of his subtle attempts at seduction.

A small nod from Squall conceded their next destination and the next activity on their agenda for the day.

As the sore pain of being taken so roughly set in, Squall made slightly sluggish work of clambering to his feet and pulling his pants back up.

* * *

Selphie grinned like a mad fiend, hopping from foot to foot and nearly shrieking in delight.

Perhaps this was why she and Irvine were so good together. While she didn't own any erotica books or videos, she wasn't the least bit turned off by it. If Irvine were to invite her over for a nice dinner and viewing of his favorite porn, then she'd be all in. It was certainly intriguing and entertaining to watch someone express their most intimate and base desires.

However, what made her moment in the control room so delicious was that the show she watched was uncensored, completely true, and had two of the hottest performers alive.

She couldn't even begin to estimate the lucky odds of ambling to the Training Center and chancing upon this.

"And they'll never know!" she rejoiced. The only embarrassing part about spying on Squall and Seifer was them finding out.

Rui crouched in the corner with his eyes squeezed shut and ears plugged, even though there was no sound from the security cameras. He chanted over and over, "I'm too young for this, this is wrong."

"Oh lighten up," Selphie chastised, slipping into a seat beside a rather affronted looking senior cadet.

"Instructor Tilmitt," the seventeen-year-old cadet said with alarm, eyes wide in horror.

Gleaming green eyes tore from one of the small square screens that depicted Squall on his back and Seifer pinning him. She wondered just how far they'd take it, knowing Squall would hardly agree to anything beyond second base. Even if there were no tapes recording, and usually never anyone monitoring the cameras, Squall wasn't likely to forget that there were indeed cameras. Although, the Commander tended to do a lot of less than responsible things around Seifer, the ex-knight's influence no doubt.

The view was distant, not exactly showing much detail, but enough to make the actions unmistakable.

"What's your name?" she asked gaily.

"Benny York," the cadet replied, casting frantic gazes from the screen to the excited instructor. He had no idea what to do.

"You're lucky I came in here, I almost didn't give Rui another tour today."

From the corner, Rui piped in, "I know this place like the back of my hand, I don't need any more tours."

"Thought you had your ears plugged," Selphie retorted, never deterred when the dark haired boy expressed his wishes to run away from her.

"They are," Rui shot back, sulking.

"So, Benny," Selphie began, "What do you think about the Commander being with another man?"

Bristling indignantly, Benny straightened in his seat. "I don't approve at all," he spoke evenly. He was one of few cadets willing to speak openly about his disapproval over the matter. Most others kept silent, still too enraptured in the glory of winning the war to admittedly denounce their once fearless Commander. Though, truthfully, he found he'd lost no respect for the Commander, especially after watching him fight just now.

Dejectedly, Selphie let her shoulders drop. Her eyes flickered to the screen, a gasp escaping as she watched Squall begin to unbuckle his belts. "Screw second base!" she shouted in glee, realizing she might indeed witness something for adults only. "Rui, stay in the corner, you are too young."

"Instructor," Benny protested, completely confused and miffed at her excitement.

"Benny, what year are you?"

"I'm a senior ma'am, I take my field exam this spring."

Laughing, Selphie took a moment to collect herself. Sobering, she regarded him with a stern expression. "I'll ask you what you think about their relationship after we've watched a little more," she said.

"Instructor Tilmitt!" Benny cried incredulously, now looking at the screen once more to find that his Commander had those tight leather pants down around his ankles, and Ultimecia's knight was… "Holy Hyne," he muttered in disbelief. He'd thought it would be an easy holiday job, monitoring the control room and making sure no cadets were injured during training.

"I'm ordering you to watch," Selphie said sternly, knowing that no teenage boy could possibly watch Squall have sex and not have a monumental change of opinion.

"Instructor!"

"You can't do that," Rui chimed, accidentally seeing the screen while speaking over his shoulder.

"I certainly can," the copper haired woman giggled. There weren't nearly enough boys in her fan club for Squall, most of the male cadets far too afraid to openly express anything boarding on attraction for the Commander. She had to start making recruitments, and who better to start with than those who were on the opposite end of the spectrum?

As a precaution, she offered the cadet her sweatshirt, much to his confusion.

"This thing got sound?" she questioned hopefully.

"Y-yeah," the brown sandy blond senior said with trepidation.

"Well, turn it on," she commanded.

'_I like it that way,' _came Squall's voice, most definitely not in a manner any of them had the pleasure of hearing before, except her that one time she'd heard the Commander in the shower with Seifer.

Grinning impishly, Selphie sat on the edge of her seat. Benny suddenly seemed to realize what the sweatshirt for, subtly placing it in his lap.

"I wish it were in color," Selphie pouted, leaning even closer. "Hey, Rui, lock the door," she called out.

Eyes shut and ears plugged, Rui attempted to walk through the room in such a manner, finding he hit the wall too often. He opened his dark brown eyes, but kept them averted, knowing he'd never be able to look Commander Leonhart in the eye again if he saw anything more. He quite liked working along side the older boy, and didn't need embarrassing images flashing each time they talked.

With the door locked, Rui pined over his predicament. He questioned Selphie's sanity, wondering how she seemed to love every little thing a million times more than normal people. His holiday was looking bleak, what with Marlboro man suddenly glaring at him all the time, as though sending death threats, and being forced to work with the bouncy instructor on festival crap each day.

Some days, he felt as though enrolling at Balamb Garden was simply the lesser of two evils.

Selphie found that the audio was far more intense than the video. With Seifer hunched over Squall like he was, there wasn't much to see, not even the knight's butt. It was the little devil in Selphie that initially used her authority on Benny, even if it was abusive in every way.

It wasn't just hard for Squall and Seifer to come to terms with the disapproval their relationship was receiving. Sometimes, she found herself becoming angry with no one in particular, finding injustice over made up scenarios involving someone affirming their negative views on the Commander.

It was tough to watch Squall work so hard all the time and still slowly fall from grace, simply for falling in love.

After a few minutes, Selphie reached out and put her hand over the screen. "You can go," she said. Aside from some frisking, Benny was not witness to any actual intercourse, which was pretty much where she absolutely had to draw the line.

Blushing furiously, the cadet scrambled to leave. A tirade of emotions swam within him, from shame and horror to intrigue and arousal. He couldn't rightly say that no two males should ever find one another attractive and not be a hypocrite. He wondered if this was some twisted lesson.

Would he be court marshaled for seeing his Commander like that?

TBC…

A/N That was terribly sexually charged. It might be surprising for Selphie's character, but consider it her endorphin rush over the festival, driving her to even greater extremes than usual. Hahah, poor Benny, random character… I'll give him a little resolution in the next chapter. Next chapter will involve more with Irvine and Selphie, while also not leaving behind too many of the other issues I have yet to address.


	21. Chapter 21

Chapter Twenty-One 

We Can't Be Together Forever

Irvine reclined lazily, feet propped on a small step latter left over from festival preparation. He sat with his long leather duster buttoned up, the cold air slowly becoming denser with light snow showers.

There were tables scattered around the quad for the big night. A thin layer of snow covered the ground and bare trees. The stage was protected, a large awning in place to shield it from weather.

"Hey," Selphie greeted, trudging across the open quad in her warm suede boots. The forecast was clear for the final finale on the coming Saturday, but it would still be cold. It wouldn't be a winter festival without snow.

"Hey darlin'," Irvine returned, tearing his violet gaze from the cloudy sky. As he took in her ambling trudge he chuckled, recognizing right away the mischievous aura around her. "You've been a naughty girl," he said smoothly.

"Maybe," Selphie admitted with an impish grin, sauntering the last few steps. Glancing behind herself she frowned. "Rui!" she yelled, not seeing the black haired boy following.

Grumbling, Selphie turned and stalked back a little ways, just to the bottom of the gentle sloping stairway. "Rui!"

"You should leave the kid alone," Irvine drawled, hiding his serious feelings on the matter.

"But he's cute and Squall likes him," she said after jogging back to the still seated cowboy.

She plopped down after brushing off all traces of snow. A cursory glance backwards told her Rui was on his way.

Rui approached hesitantly, none too willing to be subjected to more death glares from Marlboro man. Hadn't his day been bad enough? If Instructor Tilmitt kept fetching him right from his dorm, he'd start pitching camp outside the Commander's place until he was given sanctuary. Maybe if he looted her money each time then she'd like him less.

"So," the gunman began, "I see you two are together… again."

Selphie blinked innocently, still not sure if Irvine was being jealous or not. It wasn't her intention to make him so, even upon Quisty's advice that it'd be key to winning his affections back.

With trepidation, Rui sat down after fussing over making sure the chair had no snow on it. He wasn't intimidated by the cowboy, just resentful over not having crossed the gunman in any way that deserved such threatening looks.

Irvine tried to hold polite conversation, effectively masking his emotions. "So, what have you been up to, now that everything's finished ahead of schedule?"

"Oh, nothing much," Selphie fibbed.

Rui scoffed at this. Now, every time he saw the Commander, he'd redden like a tomato for no good reason. Squall would probably think he was weird or something.

"Something wrong?" Irvine asked a little too bitingly.

"Yeah," Rui replied just as harshly, not willing to take more crap without knowing what he'd done. "This is the tenth tour Instructor Tilmitt's given me. I could navigate this place with my eyes closed, yet she's insists on dragging me around and involving me in her perversions!"

With big green eyes, Selphie turned to the boy with a trembling lip. "You don't like me?" she asked with watering eyes.

In Rui's head, he imagined a different stream of words coming out of his mouth than what he actually spoke. Guilty about hurting her feelings, wondering why she finally chose this particular point to begin listening to him, he sighed. "No, I'm just," he hesitated for the right word, "grumpy."

"What does he mean perversions?" Irvine demanded, "Are you sleeping with him?"

Bright green eyes blinked in quick succession. Selphie looked at Rui and then back to Irvine, and then back to Rui. She noticed an adorable blush to the boy's cheeks. "He's certainly cute enough," she joked.

Irvine sat up straight. "Darlin', tell me you ain't serious."

"I ain't serious," Selphie mimicked the cowboy's drawling accent. "Lighten up Irvy, of course I'm not sleeping with him." Winking at the dark haired boy, she added, "Not yet anyway."

"I swear to Hyne Valdez, if you lay a finger on her-" Irvine began his fuming threat, but was cut short as Rui stood up and slammed his hands down on the table.

"You'll what Marlboro man?" Rui interjected, fearing his life was forfeit.

"You know Irvy," Selphie said calmly, "Squall is rather attached to the boy. It'd be hard to hurt him."

Rui gulped, suddenly feeling less confident now that he remembered he couldn't run to the Commander very easily when he had no clue where the older boy was. Deciding to back down, he said, "I have a girlfriend, I wouldn't date my instructor."

"Are you calling me an old hag?" Selphie questioned with a pout.

"No!" Rui proclaimed, wondering why everything he said was taken the wrong way.

"You should bring your girlfriend next time we hang out," Selphie suggested with an accompanying nod.

Rui scoffed. "And subject her to Garden's biggest lecher?"

Irvine scowled. "Former lecher kid, but I might come out of retirement just for the occasion."

"Fine, we're even then. You joked about my girlfriend and I joked about yours, now please stop looking at me like I'm a target or something."

Irvine gave a small nod, his eyes still narrowed beneath the brim of his hat. Selphie didn't go for the younger ones anyway. "So what perversion is he talking about?"

Selphie's mind scrambled for an appropriate answer. Luckily, she had several perversions. "My obsession with Squall's fan club," she answered proudly. "Rui doesn't wanna join cause all the guys in it are gay." Technically, it was true. She'd tried to get Rui to join, but he'd said that he wasn't obsessed with the Commander.

Irvine gave a small nod, his mind already wandering again.

"Did you hear the news?" Selphie spoke again.

"I've been out here all morning," the gunman pointed out.

"But it's freezing!" Selphie exclaimed, "Are you sulking again?"

Sighing, Irvine prompted, "What's the new babe?" He raised a hand to tug the brim of his hat lower, settling in his seat once again.

Selphie gave a momentary frown, staring towards the gunman in a calculating manner. When her lack of response became noticeable and Irvine finally lock eyes, she grinned.

Lacking the ability to deny the bouncy woman a soft smile in return, Irvine subsequently felt a small life in his spirits.

With an approving nod, the copper haired woman answered, "It's Quisty!"

"Did our Head Instructor finally get laid?" he jibed lightly.

"Even better!" Selphie assured, waiting for the gunman to ask her what happened.

Violet eyes glanced out from beneath the low black rim of his Stetson. "Did our mother hen run off and elope?"

"Is she dating anyone?" Selphie asked with intrigue, settling down for a change in topic.

"Better not be," Irvine growled.

Selphie rolled her eyes. "I'm beginning to see why you have jealousy management problems."

Sitting forward again, the cowboy defended, "I don't…" Irvine trailed off, composing himself once more.

"I'm going to grab lunch," Rui stated, a little cautious that the copper haired woman would ask for him to wait a little longer.

"Say hi to Zell for me," Selphie requested, glad she didn't have to ask Rui to leave in case the conversation became too personal. Rui departed with a shake of his head. One second, the woman was dragging him by a leash and the next she was acting as if she wished he would leave.

"So, are you going to tell me the news or torture me with a list of people you think Quistis is involved with?"

"I'm game for torture," Selphie cheered.

"Darlin', you already torture me every time you wear that short jumper you've got on. I don't think you should be letting other men see so much of your legs."

"Jealousy management problems," Selphie lilted with laughter.

Trying once more to guess, Irvine questioned, "Is there a instructor of the year award that I don't know about? Or have the Trepies pooled their money together to buy her a leather whip engraved with her name?"

Too excited to keep it to herself any longer, Selphie blurted out, "Squall made her the Headmistress!"

Violet eyes narrowed dangerously. Although Irvine knew he should be happy for Quistis, his focus was on the Commander. "Did Squall say why he did it?"

Frowning, Selphie pouted at the gunman's reaction. While she knew that she sometimes became more excited than everyone else, she felt certain that this was the sort of situation that called for celebrating. "Quisty said it was just time for it, that Squall said he should have done it ages ago."

"Any particular reason why he did it now?" Irvine questioned, thinking about Seifer.

"Hmm," Selphie sounded in thought. Eyes lighting up, she suggested, "Maybe because he's done it with Seifer so many times that he's not up tight any more and thought he should work less." She laughed at her joke, recalling just how much Squall had loosened up lately, enough to do it in the Training Center.

"Babe, that's not very funny," Irvine said softly, hating the thought of Seifer taking Squall. He still found it hard to forget about seeing them that morning when the blond bastard set him up.

"Are you still mooning over Squall?" Selphie huffed whimsically, her laughter cut short.

"Not exactly," Irvine said. "We had a nice talk a few days ago."

Selphie seemed mildly surprised, her green eyes staring skyward in thought. "You mean at the firing range?"

"Yeah."

"I didn't want to push it, but since I know you two did talk, how'd it go?" Hunching slightly, she pulled the long sleeves of her plain white shirt down to cover her hands. During winter she usually wore something under her yellow jumper, a shirt or leggings.

"You wanna go back in? You're a tiny thing, I can't imagine you liking all that snow."

Selphie grinned. "I'm fine, I love the cold."

Heaving a sigh, Irvine stuffed his hands in his coat pockets. "It went alright, so far as having a heart to heart with Squall can go."

"Anything change in the past few days? Do you like him any less?"

Irvine thought about it, knowing the answer already. "He gave me a lot to think about, surprisingly. I can't deny that he's real hung up over our resident ex-knight, but who knows what'll happen now that the press knows."

Selphie scoffed. "Irvy, since when do either of those two care what the rest of the world thinks. I promise you that it won't even chink the shiny coating over their cozy relationship."

"Cozy?" the gunman questioned.

"Cozy." Selphie repeated, then adding, "In a they've already tried to kill each other and seen the worst of each other for the first fourteen years of their relationship sort of way."

"Reporters can be vicious, it's not school yard gossip. Slander can have legal repercussions. Plus, it's going to effect Squall's job as Commander directly."

Frowning, Selphie wondered what Irvine was getting at. "Squall's had some pretty rough days before. With Quistis as Headmistress, I'm sure it won't be anything he can't handle. I heard that Headmaster Martine left in a huff, but I think Squall handled him 'cause he's shut his mouth since then."

Irvine thought about Martine, remembering what an asshole his old Headmaster had been. It was somewhat satisfying to think of Squall coming out on top in a war of words with the old man. "Do you think Squall's happy now?"

"For once," Selphie muttered grumpily. "You'd think after all he's accomplished, he'd take a little pride in it. I'm a little insulted that our reuniting during the war didn't make him very happy. I mean, who doesn't cheer up with a little bit of world saving victory and orphanage buddy reminiscing?"

Agreeing wholeheartedly with his little lady, Irvine commented, "He says he needed Seifer or something. I'm not sure how literal he was being. I'd take a lifetime with Zell over a day with Seifer."

"What's wrong with Zell?" Selphie pouted.

"Nothing, except he doesn't sleep. You know I need my beauty rest."

Selphie fell quiet, a thought suddenly occurring to her. "Irvine," she began, waiting for him to acknowledge her seriousness.

"Yes darlin'."

"You don't think that if… that is someday… or if something ever happened, and Squall had to choose," she stopped for lack of proper wording. It wasn't even coming together in her head.

Irvine knew where she was going, having been there the second she told him about Quistis. "If circumstance should have it, would Squall choose to stay here with us or run off with Seifer?"

Whimpering at the thought, Selphie felt her mood drop through the ground. "You don't have to say it like you've been thinking about for a while."

"I have babe. That's why Quistis becoming the Headmistress worries me."

"What!" Selphie cried, tears brimming in her eyes. "You think that Squall's going to resign?"

"Hey now, I didn't say that. You know how dedicated he is. It'd take a hundred Ultimecia's to pry him from his job."

"Or one Seifer," she stated deadpan.

* * *

"Come in," Squall called out, barely glancing up from the contract he was reading.

"Howdy," Irvine greeted, warily glancing around for his least favorite knight.

"Seifer's not here," Squall commented, not even bother to glance up this time.

Chuckling lightly, Irvine suppressed the urge to state he could totally beat Seifer's ass in any fight that didn't include gunblades. "No secretary today?" he questioned.

Squall grit his teeth. "Seifer gave her the week off."

"Call me Mr. Obvious, but I didn't think he was running Garden."

Taking the comment to heart, Squall shot the gunman an icy glare. "Quistis gave the go ahead."

"Ah," Irvine intoned in understanding, settling down in a chair before Squall's desk. "And she would have the authority now, wouldn't she? I wasn't sure if I'd still find you in this office."

"She starts for the new semester, I've still got a couple more weeks here." Setting the pack of papers down, he folded his hands on top of it before giving Irvine his full attention. "Is there something you need?"

"A few words," Irvine stated, not a request.

Squall gave a small smile. Standing up, he strode around his chair and stood before the large window. It was beginning to snow more heavily. "I figured you'd be the first to figure it out."

Violet eyes watched each movement. His heart sank. He'd come to talk and put to rest any doubts he might have had. He hadn't expected his suspicions to be true. He frowned deeply, brows drawn as he tried to understand. "How long have you been sitting on this? Did you not think we'd need to know the moment the thought occurred to you?"

Rolling his eyes, Squall gestured dismissively. "Surely you've known that our time together was short."

"I thought you'd cared enough to make it last," Irvine shot back, feeling his own heart break at the prospect of Selphie's heart breaking. "We belong together."

"We're not kids anymore Irvine, we belong where we choose to be."

"And you choose to be with Seifer," he stated in a whisper, almost not believing the conversation he was having. "Don't let that bastard corrupt your mind like this. Think about it!"

Squall raised a hand to gently touch the cold glass. Sighing, he watched a small area fog up before clearing again. "Seifer doesn't know," the brunet admitted.

Irvine stood up, rounding the desk and standing nearby the pale Commander. He couldn't deny that Squall seemed back to his old self, the beautiful young SeeD he'd first met before their mission in Deling City. If he'd been as enamored with the brunet back then as he was now, they'd probably be held up in his bedroom instead of talking about the near future that held radical changes. 'No,' Irvine thought, 'If I'd tried to date Squall back then, it would have been a one night stand.'

"Whether or not he knows doesn't mean it wasn't his influence," the gunman retorted.

"Actually, Seifer's the only person I'm afraid to tell. He's going to flip out on me."

With interest, Irvine studied the shorter boy, wishing he could read thoughts.

"It's not set in stone, which is why I don't want anyone to know. I can't let anyone else trying to talk me into it or out of it."

"It has to be your choice?" the gunman rephrased.

Squall hummed in agreement. "Don't tell the others, not yet."

"So, do you enjoy playing with all our lives like this? You haven't decided yet, which means we may or may not have the ground crumble from underneath our feet."

"Stop being a bastard," Squall snapped. He'd already been stressing about it silently for the past week, the incredulous idea growing until he couldn't ignore it. When he once found solace in silence, it was tearing him apart that he couldn't tell anyone, especially Seifer.

"You're right, that's your job."

"Irvine, don't confuse your attachments to all of us being together with your anger over not getting to fuck me."

Angrily, Irvine grabbed Squall, turning the Commander around and roughly slamming the smaller brunet against the window. Had it not been reinforced glass, he'd be yanking the man back after shattering the pane. "Aren't you the Ice Prince that wrote about not being able to take the humanity out of any human being, even mercenaries? Tell me if I'm mistaken. I read that article, and even if you wrote it to please Quistis, it had emotion, something that implied the writer believed in the words."

"Do you have a point Kinneas?" Squall hissed, not in any mood for being badgered about his role as Commander.

"My point is that we shouldn't be just faceless SeeD to you. If you have any shred of humanity, you'll know how doing this will hurt us. We all look up to you, that's why we're here. Stay with us, keep us together."

Squall gazed into Irvine's eyes, never wavering or hinting at his inner turmoil as he spoke, "Whether or not I remain as Commander of Balamb Garden, I will not be your Commander."

"What do you mean?" Irvine demanded, squeezing Squall's narrow shoulders.

"This Saturday, I'm announcing the finished reconstruction of Trabia Garden. It's a surprise for Selphie, no one expects it to be finished for another year, but with the help of President Loire, who has kindly been on board since the beginning, it was finished a week ago."

Violet eyes widened in disbelief. "Trabia is rebuilt?" the auburn haired man muttered in disbelief. There was nothing that Selphie held dearer to her heart than her old Garden.

"I'm transferring Selphie there, if she accepts." Squall wouldn't force her to go, but he couldn't imagine anything keeping her away, not even the orphanage gang. "I'm offering you a transfer as well, to go with her."

"Squall," Irvine sighed the name, overwhelmed with conflicting emotions.

"No one can know Irvine, I need your vow on this," Squall asserted firmly.

"What can't anyone know, and why the hell is Kinneas touching you?" Seifer's deep voice bellowed from the doorway.

Squall composed himself, tearing away from the window he was pressed back against, shoving past Irvine a little roughly in a show of how he wasn't in need of saving.

Taking a few seconds to master himself, Irvine stared blankly at the vacant spot Squall had left. Hiding his emotions over what he'd just learned, he turned around. Smirking, Irvine declared, "I promise not to tell a soul Squall, especially Selphie. If she knew what transpired between us, it would kill her."

With an almost giddy feel of victorious mischief, Irvine watched as jade eyes narrowed at him dangerously. He wondered if Seifer would try to kill him right before the Commander's eyes.

"Irvine," Squall groaned, "Just keep your mouth shut."

With a gesture of zipping his mouth, the gunman strut out of the room, pointedly tipping his hat to an enraged ex-knight.

Seifer was a bare thread away from pummeling the lecherous sharpshooter. "Squall," the blond warned, "If you don't explain to me why that horn dog was in here, I can't be held responsible if his tiny dick is severed by my blade."

"I'm sending him on a new assignment, to the D-district prison. We discussed the details of the contract, it's top secret," the brunet lied.

Seifer clenched his jaw. "Real nice princess, go ahead and lie to me some more, maybe I'll believe it the more you do it." Hurt that Squall would presume to lie to his face like that, especially given his sensitivity to anything dealing with the cowboy, Seifer shook his head in disappointment. "I didn't think we had much to lie about to each other anymore," the blond commented before stalking out of the office in an angry rage that went beyond acting out physically.

TBC…

A/N Hmm… well, it's not over yet obviously. And I'm not going to just suddenly have Squall make the decision to leave and then end the story. I won't lie, Squall is going to step down as Commander, but it won't be too abrupt and I'm thinking of carrying the story on a bit after he leaves. So, Irvine's mellowed out a bit, obviously not quite so obsessed with Squall. I think Irvine's concerns in this chapter are always about how Selphie will feel that he'll have to start coming around pretty soon.


	22. Chapter 22

Chapter Twenty-Two

Secrets and Surprises

"What do you think he's hiding?" Seifer questioned as he angrily paced back and forth.

While Raijin's brown eyes stared at the floor in thought, Fujin's eye moved back and forth with amusement as she followed the blond's steps.

"AFFAIR," the silver haired woman suggested. She was out for revenge on their posse leader. The ex-knight seemed to have blown them off for the sake of having more rutting time with the Commander.

Jade eyes widened in shock. Seifer faltered in his steps, head whipping to stare incredulously at Fujin. "If Leonhart was going to cheat on me, he could do a hell of a lot better than Kinneas," he growled, hating the knot of anxiousness that suddenly formed in his stomach. Squall was loyal and in love with him. Squall would never cheat on him.

"JOKING," Fujin said, a little sorry that her comment had caused such worry.

"Yeah?" Seifer snapped, "Next time I'll suggest Raijin's screwing the milk man."

Fujin just laughed, unable to suppress herself.

Seifer grumbled at her reaction as he continued to pace. "Where is he?"

"Aren't you supposed to be keeping tabs on him, ya know?" Raijin interjected. Leaning back, he subtly put an arm around the back of the couch, behind Fujin.

"I'm the one who stormed out," the blond pointed out.

Raijin snickered, doing his best to stifle it.

"It's not funny," Seifer growled, "He was alone with Kinneas, touching the Cowboy, when he knows how I feel about the womanizer."

"Maybe it really was Commander business," Fujin said smoothly.

Ceasing his strides, Seifer crossed his arms. The movement shifted the plain gray t-shirt as his muscular arms folded in place. "Thanks for joining the conversation," he commented wryly.

"Fu might be right, ya know?" Raijin backed the red-eyed woman up.

Shaking his head, Seifer assured, "I know when Leonhart's lying."

"Then maybe there was a good reason for it, ya know?"

"Where the hell is he?" Seifer demanded, not listening to Raijin's last remark.

Brows furrowed, Raijin turned to Fujin in question. "Does he even know you're here, like with us ya know?"

Resuming his pacing, the blond knight grumbled to himself, "He was supposed to follow me and apologize."

Fujin barked with laughter. "DELUSIONAL," she said, her manner of speech fluctuating in and out as usual.

Jade eyes narrowed at the silver haired woman. "I'm going back to the apartment," the broad formed blond announced, stalking to the door. Before he moved out of sight, he called over his shoulder, "Sorry for dragging you two out of bed."

"Expect the favor returned!" Fujin called out just as the door slid shut.

It was several hours later when Seifer heard the familiar hiss of the door opening. As he sat in the dark, he felt reminded of a similar instance when he'd been waiting for Squall. It was funny how at that time the cowboy was also involved, having taken the Commander into town to confess.

"Long walk from the office, or didn't you think I was actually pissed?" Seifer spoke aloud to the quiet apartment.

"I thought you needed some time alone," came the mumbled replied.

The only sound Squall made was the thud of his boots as he took them off at the door. Stepping further in, he blinked his eyes and waited for them to adjust to the dimness. It was faint twilight rays that cast scarce illumination, the living room basically set in shadows.

Sulking, Seifer crossed his arms, still sitting resolutely. "Being alone only works for you. I'd much prefer to hash it out and maybe throw a few objects." He waited another beat before outright blowing up again, "What fuck were you doing with Kinneas? He wants to fuck your brains out, and you're conspiring with him as he makes his moves?"

Squall walked closer, he stood near the armrest. His eyes were slowly adjusting, better able to see the ex-knight's sitting form. He couldn't lie again, but he also couldn't say what was really going on. His decision needed to be made by him alone, and he hadn't come to a sound conclusion yet.

"I suppose the cowboy slipped back in after I left. I'm sure you spent some quality time doing office work together." The blond turned to regard the standing brunet. Seifer was annoyed by the impassive expression on Squall's face. "Either it was so bad that it took three hours to finish or it was so good you just couldn't get enough."

Squall let the accusations wash over him. The last time the ex-knight had accused him of being with Irvine, he'd punched the blond. Now, he just balled his fists, knowing the creation of this situation was ultimately his fault.

"I know about ten women off hand that would pay to sleep with me. Should we even the scores a little Squally-boy? I think I have a fetish for Commanders. Trent was batting her lashes and she looks like a nice piece of ass."

Squall just clenched his jaw, his habitually bitten nails digging into the palm of his hands.

"Hey," Seifer lilted, pushing until he got a rise out of the younger boy, "I forgot that Rinny's in town. I bet it wouldn't take long to seduce her."

That was the breaking point for Squall. In one fell leap, he tackled the blond, pushing the man over. Though the cushions were forgiving of their landing forms, the brunet's fist was not.

Seifer managed to stay the second swing. A broad grin showed his elation at riling Squall. He hardly felt the stinging and bruising pain of being hit so squarely on his cheekbone.

"You're a bastard," Squall accused, "I'm not screwing around with Irvine and you know it. If you want to go out and get laid by someone other than me, then do it!"

It took Seifer a moment to grapple with struggling arms and calm the kitten down. When he did manage to anchor Squall securely, he felt his anger melt away, seeing the shining glint in hurt grey-blue eyes made him regret what he'd said.

"Hey," he cooed softly, resuming his struggles with the brunet as he tried to pull the younger man down against him.

Squall managed to jerk out of Seifer's hold, quickly scrambling from atop the ex-knight. He'd never really thought about breaking up or Seifer losing interest, it just never occurred to him. His heart hurt at the idea that Seifer would go off and sleep with someone else. People who were in love didn't do that.

"I'm going to bed," Squall announced, stalking away.

"Wait!" Seifer commanded. "Don't go to bed upset with me," he said, suddenly wondering how the situation became reversed.

"What do you want me to say?" Squall sighed, turning on foot and folding his arms.

"I want you to tell me the truth. Don't lie to me when I ask you something and don't ignore me when I'm going out of my mind waiting for you."

Arms uncrossing, Squall's shoulders slumped in defeat. He'd known why Seifer spoke so heatedly, but that hadn't changed the effect those words had. Stepping towards the couch once more, he gave into his want to be near Seifer.

Seifer felt as though he were welcoming a wounded puppy. Squall walked to him and didn't hesitate to slide into his lap, straddling him as apologizing arms encircled his neck.

"I can't tell you what Irvine and I were discussing," Squall muttered.

"Was it professional?" Seifer queried, trying to keep his voice level.

"Yes," Squall replied. Giving a squeezing hug, he buried his head in the crook of Seifer's neck. It had been a long day, mainly the last couple hours. He's spent his time being morbidly embarrassed all the while fretting over just how angry Seifer really was with him.

"That's all I needed to know," Seifer stated. "No lies," he added firmly.

"No lies," Squall repeated. He closed his eyes as Seifer's arms wrap around him to return the hug.

"So, where were you while supposedly giving me space?"

Squall stiffened. "I can't say," the brunet answered honestly.

"What the hell?" Seifer bit out, "Why the secrecy Leonhart? If something's going on, I want to know about it."

"It's not what you think," Squall assured.

"What I think?" Seifer reiterated incredulously. "I think you're having private meetings with Kinneas and then lying to me about. I think you've just gone off for a few hours and won't tell me what you were doing."

"You can't know everything about me," Squall shot down, raising his head from against the knight and staring into dilated green eyes.

"I can fucking try," Seifer snapped. Hating how most of their time together that day had involved him taking his anger out on the brunet, he bowed his head and pressed it against Squall's shoulder.

Squall rolled his eyes at how pathetically susceptible he'd become to the knight. Raising a hand, he raked it through blond strands of hair. "I left the office a little while after you did. You seemed," he searched for the right phrase, "especially angry, so I figured I'd let you cool down."

"So, where'd you go?" Seifer pressed further.

"It's a secret," Squall said reluctantly.

Groaning, Seifer tightened his hold on the brunet's lithe torso.

Grudgingly, Squall admitted, "It's more like a surprise."

There was silence. After what felt like five minutes but may have only been a couple, Seifer brought his head back up. "Surprise for what?" the blond asked impishly. Anger dissipated, he was overcome with curiosity. What sort of present would Squall get him?

Scoffing, Squall pushed against broad shoulders to ask for release. When the ex-knight held on tighter, he conceded to the hold, but refused to say anything more on the topic.

"It wouldn't have anything to do with this coming Sunday would it?"

With a small smirk, Squall commented, "I think you're mistaken, the festival's big day is Saturday, you know, on the winter solstice."

"That's debatable my little sex slave. Both days are a part of the solstice," the blond corrected, suddenly feeling rather excited that Squall had something in mind for his birthday.

"Sex slave," Squall muttered darkly, his distain for the title evident as he leaned close once more and gave a reprimanding nip to the knight's spicy scented neck.

"Oh no you don't," the blond chastise, attempting to pry the brunet off, but finding his attempts were thwarted as Squall became playful and brought both lips and tongue to join the nipping.

Giving up, Seifer reclined and soaked up the attention, knowing Squall was trying to distract him and loving every moment of it. He had a wonderful feeling that makeup sex was on the horizon.

"I don't suppose you're sorry enough to let me buy you a nurse's uniform," Seifer prodded. Slouching further on the couch, he brought Squall further up in his lap, their fronts pressed flush against each other.

Squall rocked subtly, sensually trailing his lips over the knight's neck, his hands raking across the cotton fabric of the plain gray t-shirt. He could feel the firm muscles beneath, but not the heated flesh. Rectifying this, he reached down to push Seifer's shirt up.

"I'm not really sorry," Squall corrected. Letting his hands splay over Seifer's chest, he leaned down flicked a hardening nipple with his tongue. "I mean," he corrected again, thinking back, "I'm sorry I lied, but other than that, I didn't do anything."

Seifer groped Squall's butt, roughly pulling the squirming body flush against himself once more. The brunet was forced to aim higher on his body. His shirt remained out of place, but he once again had that sexy body pressed close. "You were with Kinneas alone," he accused.

"That's not a crime," Squall pointed out. "You're just jealous, which makes me wonder about what my track record means to you."

As Seifer's hands caressed their way under Squall's shirt, smoothing over soft flesh, he tilted his head in question.

Squall slowly came to a halt, still his gentle rocking and pulling back from the blond's neck. Cupping the knight's face, feeling the structured curve of Seifer's jaw and the barely there stubble, he let his eyes land on the prominent scar. With his right hand, he smoothed his fingers over the jagged flesh.

The brunet wondered if the scar were as sensitive as his own. There really shouldn't have been any cause for sensitivity, but whenever Seifer touched him there it always felt inexplicably good.

Leaning closer, Squall pressed his lips to the area between Seifer's eyes. He could tell the ex-knight had shut his eyes, soft lashes fluttering against his chin. Keeping it simple, Squall rested his forehead against the blond's.

After a few long moments, Squall spoke, "You are the only person I've ever been with. Maybe I'm not normal, but there has never been anyone else. Why are you so jealous of how other people look at me? If you stopped paying attention to them, you'd notice the way I look at you."

Not daring to move an inch, Seifer kept his eyes closed as Squall's melodious voice washed over him. He loved it when Squall whispered sweet nothings in his ear, openly admitting the inner workings of that vast mind within the privacy of their apartment.

"And what way do you look at me?" the blond pushed, giving a testing nudge. He felt his nose nuzzle against Squall's, knowing their lips were a hair's breadth apart.

"Like I'm hopelessly in love." With a taunting lick, Squall darted his tongue out and gave a fleeting swipe to Seifer's lips. "I look at you like I'm becoming a bigger idiot by the hour, spouting off nonsense like this."

Seifer squeezed Squall tightly, smiling madly. "It's not nonsense," he assured before initiating a kiss.

"Is it a gun cleaning kit?" Seifer asked. When no reply came, he gently rubbed his hand across Squall's bare back.

"No," Squall groaned, burying his head in the pillows. Shifting closer to the wall, he yanked the sheet up higher, covering his back and the rest of his bare form underneath.

"You said you'd tell me if I guessed right, right?' Seifer persisted.

Squall mumbled an incoherent reply. It was one in the morning, they'd just had sex and he wanted to go to sleep. Seifer would not let the guessing of his present go, and Squall was going to kill him.

"Is it…" the ex-knight trailed off in thought, having already guessed all the obvious possibilities. "Squall," he muttered quietly.

No reply came, just the subtle movement of breathing from beneath the sheet.

"Are you really sleeping?" Seifer continued, half expecting the brunet to whip around and slug him in the other eye, and then tell him to go to sleep.

"Give me another clue," the knight insisted. Reaching out, he gently shook the curled form.

Believing that Squall had indeed fallen asleep, he carefully removed the pillow from atop mussed brown hair. Pulling the sheet, he shimmied closer. Stacking the two pillows up for himself, he lay down and maneuvered Squall to rest against his chest.

The pale brunet must have been more tired than he'd initially thought. He couldn't help but wonder if something was really brewing within that sharp mind. Raking his hands through the thick silky strands of Squall's hair, he waited for sleep to come to him.

His mind was becoming consumed with what Squall had in store for him. He hadn't really been expecting anything, never quite picturing gift giving as Squall's style. He couldn't really think of anything else but what he'd already guessed.

An entire day of fooling around had been his first guess, and his second had been and entire week of fooling around. In fact, most of his guesses had revolved around getting to have sex with Squall, but his mind had been slightly biased when he had actually been about to have sex with Squall.

* * *

"Go away!" Seifer yelled, a hand firmly pressed over Squall's ear as the sleeping brunet was pillowed against his chest.

"Seifer," Squall groaned, slowly coming to.

Now angry that Squall had been woken up, Seifer pecked the bleary eyed Commander's forehead and said, "Go back to sleep, I got it." Grumpily, he stumbled out of bed and managed to slip into a discarded pair of jeans from the night before.

Passing by the couch, he rubbed his eyes and cast a glance towards the clock. It was six, not necessarily early for the Commander, but too early considering he'd had the boy up late.

When the door opened, Seifer glared down at the top of Rinoa's raven head. "What part of 'go away' don't you understand?"

"What part of 'I'm not here to break you two up' don't you understand?"

Scoffing, Seifer puffed his chest out as he stood to his full height. He was delighted as dark brown eyes roved his muscular physique. "I wouldn't even have a problem with you if tried to break us up," he stated truthfully.

"What?" the dark haired girl remarked with disbelief.

"Rinny dear," he began in a condescending manner, "You are the least of my competition. Compared to me, you don't even register on Squall's radar."

"That's mean," she declared with hurt.

"It's also true," Seifer said with a shrug.

Tearing up, Rinoa turned to leave, but then turned back around. "I came to warn Squall. My dad's going to be coming here. He'll be arriving in a couple hours."

"I'll be sure to relay the message," Seifer said with a nod. Smiling cockily, he pressed the button for the door to close.

Stalking back to the bedroom, he was dismayed to find his bed vacant. Stepping back out of his room, he rolled his eyes as the sound of running water reached his ears. "How's he do that?" he grumbled while heading towards the bathroom. Sometimes it was eerie how silently Squall could move about.

He might as well save water, and maybe grope for a little morning fun.

While the prospect of having to deal with General Caraway wasn't too bright, he couldn't help but feel excited that he was one day closer to his birthday. He would have forgotten about it if Squall hadn't said anything, and now he could hardly wait.

As silent as Seifer thought he'd been, when he stepped out of his pants, he heard Squall call out his name in question. "Yeah, who else do you think would be sneaking in here while you're showering?"

"Selphie maybe," Squall said with a scoff.

Seifer laughed, finding the reply to be quite accurate.

Slipping in, the tall blond wrapped his arms around a wet Commander. Nibbling on the brunet's ear, he questioned, "So, what'd you get me for my birthday?"

"It's your birthday?" Squall asked, playing dumb. "I seem to remember a time not so long ago when we agreed that as fuck buddies, presents were not included." As he rocked back against Seifer, he added, "Just benefits."

"Fuck buddies don't love each other," Seifer chastised. They were way beyond having nights with no strings attached. "If you tell me, I'll warn you about who you have to see in a couple hours."

"General Caraway," Squall said, smiling slightly at his victory.

"Dammit," the knight cursed. "You know I won't stop hounding you about this until I get an answer."

"And you know I can outlast you," Squall muttered, his smile still in place as gruff hands began to fondle him.

"Is that a challenge?"

Stepping further under the warm spray, Squall pulled Seifer with him. "It depends."

"On?" the blond prompted.

"If it's about sex or nagging me to death."

Seifer grinned at the thought of trying to outlast each other during sex. The consequences of such a rivalry could lead to hours of torturous pleasure. It was a crime that Squall spoke of such a little game now, when he knew the Commander was going to head off to the office.

"I could be talked into taking the challenge on both of those," Seifer replied.

"Another time them," Squall assured, reaching for a bottle of shampoo.

Groaning, Seifer conceded that he couldn't talk Squall into blowing the General off. Grabbing the bottle from the brunet, he proceeded to wash that dark mop of lengthy hair. It was a growing pleasure of his to wash Squall's body, running his hands all over it and teasingly slipping his fingers inside that tight opening.

By the time they were both cleaned, Seifer was also sporting a hard on. Rubbing against Squall's back, his cock slid along the cleft between shapely cheeks. Having soaped up and prepared the brunet well, he had no qualms in giving it to the Commander hard and fast.

In a single thrust, no warning given, Seifer pushed into the puckered entrance and buried himself deeply.

Hands against the wall, Squall braced himself as the blond thrust in and out of him. As he relished the feel, pleasure spiking through him as Seifer struck him in just the right place, he began to feel his resolve harden in what he'd decided to do for the ex-knight's birthday.

"So tight," Seifer grunted. He began to stroke Squall, torturing the boy with more pleasure than he'd know what to with. His thumb swirled over the sensitive tip of the brunet's penis, his own cock aimed to wring screams of ecstasy from that elegant throat.

Hard and fast brought both of them to a swift end, their bodies joined while shuttering in pleasure. The water washed away soapy bubbles and sticky semen, leaving to two free to explore each other's mouths.

TBC…

A/N I plan to dedicate a whole chapter to Squall's gift giving philanthropy. Someone, and I won't name names, since I don't wanna spoil it exactly, has already guessed what Squall has in mind… at least they came pretty close. So, next up is General Caraway and, I'm sorry, a little more of Rinoa. Hey, for good measure, I'm bringing Laguna into the next one too.


	23. Chapter 23

Chapter Twenty-Three 

Is It Pointless to Fight?

Quistis sat quietly, sipping a caramel latte while gazing out the large glass barrier set between the cafeteria and the small courtyard outside. It was snowing again, another day that promised an inch or two. The major storms were known to start around the end of December, but usually didn't hit until late January.

It was her sneaking suspicion that Squall returned to the higher elevations of Balamb as quickly as possible for the sake of giving Selphie's festival a real winter setting. The worst they would have gotten in Fisherman's Horizon would be a chilly sea breeze, which didn't do much to stir up the winter festival spirit.

It wasn't particularly early to be out and about that morning, but given that classes were out, she was one of very few people up at seven o'clock. Greta was shuffling in and out of the kitchens, making ready for the later scheduled breakfast hour that had thus far been a hit the first two days of the vacation week.

Considering that a large number of cadets went home for the break, there was rarely more leftover food than Zell could handle.

"How's the drink?" Greta asked in passing, swiping her hands clean of trace amounts of powdered sugar.

"Wonderful, thank you," the Head Instructor replied.

Smiling, Greta gave pause in a moment of debate. "Congratulations by the way. Zell told me the good news."

Beaming proudly, Quistis acknowledged once again that she had just been made Headmistress, effective in less than two weeks. "When you're finished setting up, why not join me? I could drink another cup and I'm afraid that if I keep thinking to myself like this then I'll turn into Squall."

"Give me a few minutes then, I'm nearly done."

Just as the redheaded chef disappeared, a lightening bolt of yellow flashed and brought Selphie right to Quistis feet. Huffing dramatically, Selphie gestured with her hands animatedly, signaling something without using words.

Quirking a single eyebrow, Quistis regarded Selphie with expectant amusement.

Straightening indignantly, Selphie stomped her booted foot. The sound was louder since they were standard SeeD boots and not her usual brown suede ones. Beneath her jumper she had on flaring blue denim pants, since she'd woken up and felt particularly cold that day.

"What is it?" the blonde asked when the green eyed girl remained silent.

"Quisty," the copper haired young woman groaned. "When I do this," she referred to her wild gesturing while demonstrating the movement once again, "it means something big is up."

"Uh-huh," the blonde woman intoned with indifferent agreement.

"When I do this," she continued to gesture, hands flapping around and arms flailing pointlessly in the air, "it means you get up and start running in the general direction I'm pointing at."

Crystal blue eyes blinked. Quistis used her index finger to push her glassed further up her nose. "You weren't really pointing in any one direction," the instructor commented.

Hands flopping down dejectedly to her side, Selphie sighed. "I give up," she said, turning and walking away.

"Selphie," Quistis called out. "What'd you come to tell me?"

Whirling around, copper hair bouncing with the movement, Selphie stuck her tongue out and grinned. "Oh yeah, I almost forgot."

Trying to hide her amusement, Quistis found herself failing as she started to laugh.

"It's not funny," Selphie chastised. "Squall is meeting with General Caraway right now. Let's go."

Smile falling, the bright-eyed blonde regarded her younger friend seriously. "I didn't know the General was coming."

"Neither did I," Selphie shot back affronted. "Not until I saw him going up to the elevator. I wonder where Rinoa is?"

"Well," Quistis started, shifting in her seat a bit, "If it's Commander business, we can't just show up. And if it's not, I think there's even more reason not to get involved."

"Involved?" the younger woman questioned. "Who wants to get in the middle of something this juicy? I just meant that I already got Irvine and Zell up at the secretary's desk, so I just came to get you and Greta."

At the look of incredulous confusion, Selphie explained further, "I learned this neat trick from Rui. I wired the intercom so we can hear what's going on. I haven't figured out how to tap it from another area, not the secured lines anyway, so we'll have to risk being outside his office."

"Selphie!" Quistis exclaimed with shock. "The General has put a request for SeeD in, this could very well be a private meeting to discuss the contract. You can't listen in on that."

Silently, Selphie thought that she also wasn't allowed to watch Squall and Seifer having sex, but she'd done it anyway. "Oh please, I heard Caraway's opening line. He said he was disappointed after treating Squall like a son. That doesn't sound like Commander business to me."

Biting her lip, Quistis resisted the infectious urge to learn more. Shaking her head, she straightened in her seat. "I'm not going. I advise you to send everyone else away."

"If you want us to not listen, you'll have to come and clear us out yourself," she lilted as if dangling some tantalizing piece of food before the starved woman's eyes.

"Morning Selphie," Greta greeted, carrying two mugs in her hands.

"Greta!" the copper haired woman cried, startling the woman so that some of Quistis' second latte sloshed over the side of the cup. "You have to come with me."

"Selphie," Quistis reprimanded, her stern voice holding a finality that only came out when talking to cadets. "Greta and I are busy. When you go up, I expect you to tell everyone else to leave and then to do so yourself. If Zell isn't here to join Greta and myself in ten minutes, I'm calling Seifer's cell phone and letting him deal with you."

"Why not call Squall?" Selphie fired back with a defiant air, as if daring her babysitter to call her parents.

"Because, Squall would kill you all and then where would we be without so many instructors?"

Pouting, Selphie stuck her tongue out before fleeing. Her intended destination was Laguna's room. She'd grab Laguna, go to the office, tell Zell to vamoose, and then eavesdrop.

* * *

Seifer shifted in his seat, casually crossing his long legs and reclining as if watching a good game on TV. Truthfully, he was becoming aroused and didn't want to distract his kitten because of it. Neither his black dress pants nor untucked plum-red dress shirt would disguise any bulges.

The way Squall moved, that confident stalk as Commander, was like a lion toying with its prey. The belt jostling sway of those hips set his loins on fire. Squall's hips flared in such a slight manner that screamed at anyone who took notice. Those hips were saying, 'Grab me. Hold me in place while you fuck me so hard that I break, and then fuck me some more.'

As Squall turned the other way, Seifer was given a view of that supple ass hugged in tight leather. He nearly groaned, but settled for shifting once more in an attempt to lessen any friction that might encourage a noticeable erection. There was nothing subtle about the curves of Squall's ass, especially when encased in those black leather pants. Whatever the hips said, those firm and supple cheeks bellowed even louder.

For the first time, Seifer ignored the jealousy within himself. Caraway was certainly a man of self-control to not be reaching down and jerking off to the sight Squall presented. Though, the blond doubted those hazel brown eyes weren't soaking in the sight.

What kept Seifer grounded were the subtle glances Squall sent his way. Gray-blue irises flashed with want. Those attention grabbing eyes subtly looked him up and down in a way that sent heated shivers through him, telling him that the younger man appreciated his muscular body as much as he enjoyed the brunet's lithe one.

Squall had been right. If he looked for it and paid attention to an area of the Commander higher than the waistline, he saw why the pretty boy never seemed to notice the watchful eyes of so many others. The brunet was too busy looking at him and dealing with matters at hand to care about anything else.

Besides that, Seifer felt sound in his conclusion that Caraway was an older man of strictly controlled behavior and far too indignant about his daughter to do more than look.

"Cid and Edea will be arriving with the children this Friday, Mr. Caraway. If you are so set on expressing your disappointment on Cid's behalf, perhaps you'd like to have another discussion when he's here to speak for himself." His choice of title was due to the General's lack of addressing him as Commander.

"I gave you your start boy, don't you dare give me lip," Caraway said sternly, all the while keeping a calm demeanor.

The General sat rigidly in place before the Headmaster's desk. The incessant pacing was throwing him off, but managed to ignore it after a while, just as he ignored the nonnegotiable presence of Ultimecia's knight.

"And here I was under the impression that I might have earned my position," Squall snapped sarcastically.

Green eyes widened, the blond's attention converting from what he could do to Squall to what was eating away at the Commander. The brunet didn't make remarks like that unless he was the antagonist. Something seemed amiss.

"Squall, you're a young boy. Too young for this office if your actions are anything to go by," the General said smoothly, his resolve for remaining calm and proving himself the better dignitary only hardened by the small outburst.

Sighing, Squall rubbed his forehead in frustration. This conversation was getting to him more than it should have been. Perhaps it was because he was seriously considering handing in his resignation. "I'm not a politician," he said quietly, determined to keep every single movement and syllable in check. It was difficult when he could feel Seifer's eyes boring into him, causing inappropriate thoughts to creep up on him.

Moving behind his desk, Squall stood before his chair but didn't sit down. He reached out and picked up the sealed envelope that Caraway had tossed atop all other files. Regardless of having Seifer in the room, something that was never done, he tore the package open.

Edging forward a little, the General commented, "Is it common practice to deal with such matters with a civilian in the room?"

Seifer leaned his head back and gave off rich laughter. Never cutting it short, he took his sweet time expressing his amusement.

"Gregory," the blond called with rude familiarity. "I promise you I'm hardly a civilian," His tone was dangerously assuring, his mind recalling images of the last person he'd taken care of as Squall's bodyguard. He only wished he could have tagged a note onto Epson's corpse, as warning to all others who dared to touch what wasn't theirs.

The blond didn't push any further. He'd already pushed the bar when Caraway made that comment on Squall being like a son. The over the hill General had once said the same thing to him when he was dating Rinoa, the meaning different but words the same. Naturally, he'd spoken his thoughts on the matter, questioning whether Caraway was against their relationship because they were like brothers.

"General Caraway," Squall spoke evenly, returning the title of office to make amends for Seifer's words. "I'd rather not put off what can be done right now."

Reaching for a pen, the Commander slid the annulling contract from within the envelope onto the desk. Flipping through the pages, his eyes scanned the text even though he knew the words by heart practically. With an elegant flow of the pen, he gave his signature.

"You're quite correct," Caraway bit out tersely. Standing to retrieve the signed document, he added, "You are no politician."

Squall understood exactly what the General meant. Despite recent events and the constant assumption that he could not run a Garden properly, Balamb Garden had the best SeeD for any job. The request for SeeD to scout out unauthorized activity in the D-district prison should have been given to Galbadia on all accounts of location and close relations between the General and Headmaster Martin.

Squall knew Caraway was too meticulous and controlling not to use the best at his disposal, which was Balamb Garden. The threat to revoke the request was hardly the threat to Commander Leonhart that the graying General thought it was.

"If withdrawing your request was not your intention then allow me to correct my mistake." Squall held his hand out in a show of his willingness to take back the document and perhaps light it on fire.

"You're running this facility into the ground. You're making a mockery of the entire institution. Will it take another sorceress war to convince you of the importance of being a knight?"

"I'm sorry, but what exactly would you know about knighthood?" Seifer chimed in with rising anger.

"Mr. Almasy," Caraway bit out through gritted teeth with an emphasis on each syllable. Turning to address the blond, he warned, "If I'm speaking to you, then I will look at you when doing so. Unless you can refrain from interfering, I suggest you take your leave."

Squall's eyes narrowed. The brunet quickly held a hand up to plead for Seifer's restraint, his eyes conveying that he was far from ever being a push over. "General Caraway," Squall said quietly, drawing the man's attention back to him and almost mocking the man with his impassive features.

"If you insist on your boyfriend being present-"

"I do," the brunet interjected firmly, his voice rising a bit to cut Caraway off. "I insist he be here because he this was by all means an informal meeting. As you well know, I do not schedule meetings with clients via their daughters."

"I'm a busy man, boy. I suppose it'd be too hopeful to assume you could possibly understand."

"Fucking prick," Seifer snapped, shooting up from his seat. He'd throttle the man for daring to undermine the dedication Squall had, the work and effort that it had taken to set post war affairs in order and keep Balamb running smoothly during such times of widespread peace. He'd show the General a whole new meaning of defacement.

"Seifer," Squall hissed.

"How expected," Caraway said, bristling in a condescending air.

"You watch your mouth," Seifer warned, vehemently pointing at the man, wishing he could close the distance and wrap his hands around that ugly neck.

"General," Squall sighed, "I cannot give you anything you want. I cannot help someone who does not see the truth in anything."

"Excuse me?" came the affronted remark, hazel eyes glaring at the audacity being shown. "Is that the truth you orphans think you're raised with? You come here with the presumption that being raised with the consequence of war over your head makes you fit for such a position as Commander. Much as the rest of the world would like to think of you as some hero, the true heroes are the men and women who have dedicated their lives to the betterment of our governments."

"And I suppose it was that philosophy that lead you to elect a president who supported an insane sorceress?" Squall shot back, more than willing to stretch the limits of his daily number of words if it was for a debate with someone who had managed to royally piss him off.

The brunet continued, "I suppose it was that philosophy that helped you raise such a politically active daughter, a daughter who ventured outside your household for a single day and realized what a hypocrite her father was. I suppose it was that philosophy of great governing and politics that lead to such a wonderfully free Timber, that is if you ignore the years of oppression those people went through with thanks to the politicians you supported."

As the General seemed at a momentary loss, be it from Squall's sharp tongue and words or from the fact that the brunet was speaking with emotion and at length, the young man kept going.

"I do not consider my time spent at the orphanage of any particular relevance to my job as Commander. My basis for qualification lies in my completed training as SeeD and my proven capabilities as Commander during the war."

"It was a temporary post!" Caraway shouted unexpectedly. "To think that a eighteen year old boy could possibly match the level of competence and skill in men and women with ten times the amount of experience is a joke!"

"What does this have to do with my banging Squall?" Seifer bellowed incredulously.

Squall raised a hand to pinch the bridge of his nose, wanting to walk up to the blond and slap him upside the head.

With a look of distain, the older man gladly made the connection. "Your personal perversions are directly interfering with your duty. You are sleeping with the enemy Commander Leonhart, how much further will you drag your name through the mud?"

"Who's mixing business with personal affairs exactly Greg?" Seifer questioned, condemning himself to a night without sex by forcing his way into the argument. "You come here to threaten to withdraw your request for SeeD because your daughter got dumped."

Brows furrowed in anger, the General reared on the blond. "You haven't changed a bit since I saw you by your sorceress' side. If you're plotting to take over this Garden, rest assured there are more people like myself who will not let it happen."

"Well fuck Squally-boy, this guy's insane. No wonder he sees everything backwards. Even Martine couldn't deny that Balamb Garden is the most prosperous mercenary facility in existence."

"Seifer, you're not helping."

"No, but I feel a lot better now," the blond returned with an arrogant smile. Seeing the blotches of redness come to the older man's face, Seifer wondered if Caraway was about to start yelling or have a heart attack. "If you've got anything up your sleeve, I think now's the time to bring it out."

Subtlety was not exactly a word in the ex-knight's vocabulary, which was something Squall knew, but still seemed taken by surprise when these moments came about.

"President Niles is currently planning a coup of his own government. His intentions are unclear, erratically inexplicable with rumors of mental instability," Squall said impassively, throwing his trump card out there for the General to take it at will.

"What?" General Caraway asked incredulously, his worst fears spoken by this boy.

"I suggest you shift your focus more inward. I believe this is the second president you've nominated that has turned out to be unfit. If you value your own office, then you'll leave here and return to where you belong."

"But how…" Caraway trailed off, the predicament slowly sinking in. He staggered back and took a seat.

"General," Squall began, standing straighter and folding his arms. "I assure you that this information is known only by myself and the single SeeD I sent to gather the information. Mr. Almasy is under strict confidence as per the contract signed as my guard. Should you require assistance with this matter, Balamb Garden is always at your disposal."

In a disbelieving haze, General Caraway tossed the document he had in hand back at Commander Leonhart and stalked from the office.

"What just happened?" Seifer asked in confusion, striding up to the smaller man.

Shoulders slouching slightly, Squall sighed heavily. In mumbled response, seemingly talked out for the day, he said, "His career is in jeopardy, and that's more important than going against me."

In comforting reassurance, Seifer stepped even closer and stood before the brunet. Arms at his side, he waited to see if Squall needed a hug or punching bag. "You're good at that negotiator shit," he said. "When you get going like that, it's kind of sexy."

"Should I be thanking you for not hitting anyone or hitting you for interfering?"

"You should be kissing me," Seifer suggested.

Scoffing, Squall leaned forward with drooping eyes. His forehead pressed against the blond's shoulder, his tired eyes closing. He wanted more sleep. He wanted greater clarity on why he was fighting so hard to keep his position when he could think of nothing but resigning.

Strong arms encircled the brunet's slender frame. "I'm so sick of this. I remember this place being so different."

"A lot has changed," Squall said in a muffled reply. "I'm the Commander now."

"It's not you, it's all this political bullshit that you have to put up. It's killing you Leonhart, and totally draining our time in bed. Do you know what time we got up?"

Groaning, Squall relaxed further into the embrace, the blond holding him up. "I'm tired," the brunet admitted, a deeper meaning lacing the words.

"I know," Seifer said with a firm squeeze, kissing soft chocolate locks.

"Squall!" Selphie cried from the doorway.

"Not now Tilmitt," Seifer spoke firmly.

"Laguna totally just kicked General Caraway's ass!" she informed. Though she knew it was bad news, she couldn't hide her glee.

TBC…

A/N I'm too tired to say much right now… I'm going to sleep now.


	24. Chapter 24

Chapter Twenty-Four

Take My Hand

"One punch does not constitute a beating," Laguna groaned miserably.

"But it must have been some punch, he went down like a ton of bricks!" Selphie rejoiced.

The young woman had been left alone to listen in on the conversation between the Commander and the General, never managing to find Laguna on her way up and discovering that the area outside Squall's office had been vacated already. As Caraway stormed from the office, Laguna had just arrived by mere coincidence.

Unlucky for Caraway, Laguna was quite sensitive about his son. And lucky for Selphie, she'd seen the whole thing.

"Do you need ice?" Squall asked, striding towards the kitchen of the President's apartment.

"Screw ice," Seifer remarked, amicably patting the older man on the back, "Give him a potion if he needs it." The blond knight knew how stingy Squall was with potions, always following the rules.

"No," Laguna said, "My hand's fine."

"Unlike Caraway's face," Seifer commented before laughing.

Shifting on foot uneasily, Laguna called out to his son, "I'm sorry."

Squall was hidden in the kitchen, facing an open freezer. A small smile ghosted his lips, his amusement at the incident surpassing his concern for any ramifications. He'd wanted to hit the General several times himself. Though, his heart nearly stopped when Selphie informed him of what happened, exaggerating the truth to a degree that caused him great alarm.

The situation had resolved itself when the General was revived and seemed more embarrassed than angry. It also helped that no one really wanted to make enemies with Esthar.

It was obvious Caraway had underestimated Laguna Loire's paternal attachment, never thinking a few departing comments would invoke such a strong reaction.

Squall listened as he searched for a plastic bag or clean dishtowel to place a few cubes of ice in. Judging from the General's quickly swollen cheekbone, he'd say Laguna's knuckles would fee pretty bruised.

"So, without Tilmitt's tall tale accounting, how'd it really happen?" Making himself at home, Seifer comfortably took a seat on the couch and sank into the cushions, his arms spread wide across the back.

"You seem awfully happy about all this," the longhaired man commented sardonically. He was mortified at what he'd done. He hadn't been thinking about the trouble it might cause Squall before he'd acted.

"Are you kidding?" the blond returned rhetorically.

"He totally deserved it!" Selphie exclaimed. When jade eyes gave her a questioning look, she quickly added, "For what he said to Sir Laguna."

Sighing, the raven haired President flexed his right hand and joined the ex-knight. "I just stepped off the elevator. I came to find Squall, because I have to go back to Esthar tonight and wanted to see if we could spend some time together." Hazel green eyes seemed to dim slightly.

"Will you make it back for the festival?" Squall questioned from the kitchen's open doorway. There was a slight note of curious concern in the Commander's voice that seemed to belie a want for the older man's quick return.

"I wouldn't miss it for the world," Laguna answered with a sheepish smile.

Coughing to pointedly interrupt the gazing moment between father and son, Seifer prompted, "Then what happened?"

Striding closer, Squall casually offered a dishtowel with several ice cubes wrapped up in it.

"Well, he said something inappropriate and I overreacted." Laguna took the offering carefully, as if it would disappear if he took his eye off of it.

Walking in front of the blank television screen, Selphie was more than happy to reenact the scene. "General Caraway came out and got in Laguna's face, all angry at poor Laguna for no reason. He was all, 'I hope Balamb Garden is worth having a gay son. Esthar can't support this place forever.'" Selphie's imitation of the General was actually fairly accurate.

Hopping to stand facing the other direction, she played the Estharian President. "And then, Laguna was like, 'Squall is worth everything I have.' And then before Caraway could say anything, BAM!" The copper haired woman gave the air a hard right hook. Bouncing from foot to foot and shadow boxing like Zell, she laughed triumphantly.

Blushing furiously, Laguna kept his eyes trained on the plain white dishrag. He kept busy with shifting it every so often on the back of his hand.

A faint blush graced Squall's cheeks as well, feeling certain Selphie had given a quoting verbatim. Awkwardly clearing his throat, he kneeled before his father and gestured to see the man's hand.

Wide eyed, Laguna let the young brunet examine the slightly reddened knuckles. His hand was fine. He knew how to throw a punch.

With an approving nod, Squall commented, "I take it the machine gun wasn't your only weapon of choice."

Blushing deeper, Laguna nodded numbly, his heart swelling. Before he could think of what to say or do, the cushion beside him shifted and the boy just seemed to blink out of sight.

Seifer had dipped down and grabbed Squall, yanking the brunet about the waist and situating himself back in place, now with his kitten in his lap. His actions spoke loud enough, the message clear to everyone in the room.

Squall rolled his eyes, assuming Seifer wanted more attention. However, sitting in the blond's lap was out of the question. Slapping offending arms away, he unceremoniously slid into a place beside the ex-knight, his father at his other side.

Avidly, Selphie's green eyes watched the each man. She wanted a camera. The sternly clenched jaw of the handsome blond knight, who craved attention and became irritated when a particular brunet wasn't solely focused on him, was simply cute. The shy hesitancy for intimacy in front of others from Squall was endearing. And, the faint blush in the young looking President's cheeks was adorable, as if Laguna just realized that his son cared in a very secretive way.

Wishing she had a camera, Selphie settled for storing the idea away and nagging until she managed to convince everyone to get together and allow her to snap pictures all day.

Bounding closer, Selphie practically threw herself into Laguna's lap. Stretching out, she lay across the three surprised men. Giggling, she grinned impishly. "I felt left out," she explained, wriggling about.

"Tilmitt, watch your feet," Seifer warned, almost jumping back as those heavy boots landed a little too close to his package. Laguna's stunt seemed to have distracted the Commander from the comment's he'd made in the office, which meant he wasn't in the doghouse and could expect to be getting some later on. However, if the bouncy pilot saw fit to kick him in the groin, he'd see fit to wrecking her entire festival.

"You guys are comfy," she declared. Craning her head back, she spotted the remote a couple cushions away. It was out of her reach, so she attempted to roll backwards off of them. However, she got stuck half way, glad for her pants when her jumper came up. "A little push," she said. If she wasn't on their laps, she could have done it, but even she had sense enough to be careful.

Awkwardly, Laguna helped the young woman, pushing her the rest of the way and off his lap. Sometimes he questioned how this group of people managed to save the world. Frowning, Laguna reminded himself that Seifer had not been a part of that group, a little fact that was easy to forget with the amicable air between everyone.

Casually settling in as if she'd simply sat down in the first place, Selphie flipped the television on. "Are they running any specials on festivals, or did that stop last weekend?" the young woman asked.

Resting his hand on his knee, Laguna kept the makeshift icepack in place. "Festival specials ended, right now Galbadia has hockey and track." Shifting a bit, the President tried not to appear uncomfortable.

Pouting a little, Selphie attempted a few channels before finding something of interest that involved someone just landing after a pole vault. "I'm meeting Irvy for lunch later, but do you mind if I kill some time here?"

"Who're you asking?" Seifer questioned, realizing the air between them felt a little tense.

"Who do you think?" Selphie retorted, leaning forward to gaze at the blond knight. It was then she saw three pairs of striking eyes gazing at her in silent question. Giggling, she answered, "Sir Laguna of course, it's his place after all."

"No it's fine," the raven-haired President assured.

While track and field wasn't exactly the most exciting entertainment, it involved moving bodies wearing colorful outfits. It was enough to draw Laguna and Selphie right in.

Silently debating, Squall considered going back to his office. He'd planned on that, up until he was informed that Laguna was leaving that night. Now, while his mind was made up to stay with the President, he felt inclined to just dropping by the office to grab some work.

"I'll be back in a bit," Squall announced, making to stand up. Before he could rise completely, a stilling hand grasped his own.

"Where are you going?" Seifer questioned, his jade eyes boring into the gray-blue ones of the Commander.

Standing, but remaining with his hand held by the ex-knight's, Squall replied, "Just to grab a few files. It'll only take a few minutes."

Laguna gave a smile at the fact that he would indeed be spending the day with Squall. However, an exclamation of awe from the copper haired woman at his side drew his attention back to the field events on screen.

Seifer seemed hesitant for a moment, not wanting to let Squall go. Maybe it was the way the brunet had scrambled off his lap so quickly, as if moving away from him had been the pretty boy's first instinct. After that moment's hesitation, Seifer felt foolish for reading so much into nothing. Squall didn't like to be affectionate with anyone else watching, he knew that and respected it for the most part.

Without further impeding, the blond released the seemingly delicate hand from his grip. Grunting in acknowledgment of what the brunet had said, Seifer turned his attention to the large screen on the wall. As Squall walked away, his eyes mimicked the attentive watching like that of the two people further down the couch, but he was blankly staring.

Squall was halfway to the door before something clicked in his head. Frowning, he quietly walked back, not wanting to draw attention from his father or Selphie.

While Seifer's blunt and outspoken nature was refreshing and part of what Squall liked about the man, there were many occasions when the brunet cursed Seifer's tendency to speak every thought aloud. However, this was a rare instance when Squall found the former knight wasn't speaking up, obviously thoughtful about something that had happened in the last five minutes.

Stooping from behind the couch, a task made harder since the seating area was a step lower than the rest of the room, Squall pressed his lips to Seifer's cheek. It was a quick kiss, his lips moving to hover a hair's breadth from the blond's ear. "If something's wrong, say so," he whispered

Seifer closed his eyes, his body's reaction extreme for something that was so small in comparison to the sort of passionate exchanges they usually had. Perhaps it was the mentality he had, having almost wished Squall could read his thoughts and assure him he was being ridiculous. It was like pleasant reminder that Squall understood him quite well and picked up on something so small as a second's delay in letting go of the other's hand.

"I'm coming with you," the knight said before standing.

A small smile played across Squall's face. The pale brunet felt a mixture of pride in himself for picking up on his lover's wants and amusement that Seifer was reluctant to admit wanting to come along. Squall supposed he'd feel the same if their roles were reversed. A quick trip to the office was hardly something that needed both of them to accomplish, and hardly enough time apart to even begin wishing they were together.

As they stepped into the hallway, Seifer's arm snuck around the smaller man's back and his hand settled comfortably on subtle curve of Squall's hip. He hooked a thumb into one of the belts, slowly adding to the list of uses he had for the accessories.

"Seifer," Squall hissed in warning, eyes darting around to see if anyone was within sight.

Scowling darkly, Seifer pointed out, "It's not a secret that we're together."

"…" Squall returned the scowl.

"A few touches here and there aren't inappropriate, even in public. You won't even sit on my lap in the privacy of your dad's living room."

"Selphie and Laguna were there. Besides, I hardly do it when we're alone," Squall said, wondering how serious Seifer was being about this and whether it was sadness he saw in jade green eyes.

Seifer thought that perhaps some of the fault was within himself. Seeing as how Squally-boy was previously virgin boy, the responsibility of showing the oblivious young man what lovers did fell on him. Perhaps he should have been pushing Squall to be more affectionate from the beginning. Then again, perhaps he was just feeling a little needy, that insatiable craving urging more contact and wanting to feel those gentle fingers touching him.

Miffed that he couldn't make up his mind on such a simple matter, Seifer dropped his arm from around Squall. Stepping away, he raised his eyebrows in question of whether that was better, and then began to walk.

Squall fell into step beside the tall ex-knight, feeling guilty but not willing to show it. Whether or not the world knew about their relationship didn't change the fact that he wasn't comfortable walking around holding hands and making out. Yet, Seifer managed to make him feel like he was rejecting him.

What sort of message would it send if he walked before the cadets with Seifer grabbing his ass? As the Commander, there was an image of proper conduct to uphold.

But, how much longer was he going to be the Commander? A week or two, maybe another couple months, or was he going to forget about resigning altogether?

It wasn't as though he were particularly keen on being the Commander, though he felt concerned about Balamb Garden's welfare. Under his control, things ran smoothly, and that was something he needed to be assured wouldn't become disrupted when he left.

'When I leave or if I leave?' Squall wondered to himself.

Thoughts of resigning plagued Squall's mind all the way to the office. He was so engrossed that he nearly forgot why he'd come there.

Thinking for a moment he stalked into the room. Knowing that he basically had endless reports to read, he gathered a few littered files on his desk, having just left everything as it was after Caraway's departure. In the bottom drawer was his laptop packed away in its case. Neatly tucking the files in the bag, he zipped it up. After settling the strap crosswise over his chest, he felt certain he had most of what needed to be worked on.

Quistis was the Headmistress now and would be taking over much of the tedious paperwork starting the following Monday. His job would still place him behind a desk, but the cadets wouldn't be his responsibility, only fully fledged SeeD.

Turning back, Squall saw the tall knight standing in the doorway, staring after him intently.

"Something on your mind?" Seifer asked while crossing his arms as if stating that he wouldn't budge until he received a sufficient answer.

"Many things," Squall replied evasively, knowing how the blond disliked it when he lied.

Walking closer, undeterred by the older boy's broad form, Squall stepped as close as he could. Regarding the blond through a slanted gaze, he seemed to ask if his honest answer would suffice.

Seifer, who had several bones to pick, found that his hands didn't really care for whatever matters his mind dealt with. Smoothly, he reached out and grabbed at those bulky belts adorning sexy hips. In a gruff pull, he brought Squall to himself, ridding the small gap that kept their bodies apart.

Squall kept his eyes trained upwards, never blinking or changing his expression. It was all he could do not to visibly shiver. It might have been the tinge of anger still present in green eyes, something that usually vanished completely when lust came into play.

"I want to touch you always, not just when no one is looking," the blond stated huskily.

Squall thought back to the few times he'd been intimate with the knight in front of others. A caressing touch somehow seemed more embarrassing than a passionate kiss. To openly show his love for Seifer made him feel anxious and somewhat vulnerable.

"Can you even do it when we're alone?" Seifer bit out heatedly, fighting the urge to stalk away. Squall loved him and showed it every day, but he still felt agitated at the moment.

Brows drawn together, Squall stared in slight shock. What exactly was the cause of this?

Taking the challenge, Squall kept his eyes locked onto the knight's and raised his hands up. As the action caused him to lean back slightly, he went slow and waited for supporting arms to keep him from losing balance. There was a heavier weight on his left shoulder, the strap pulling with the weight of his portable computer and files.

Seifer's breath hitched at the first touch of Squall's fingertips. He'd seen it coming, but it was still unexpected.

Gently, Squall took Seifer's request entirely literal and simply touched the man. He felt a pleasant warmth wash over him when the older boy's eyes shut and a very faint gasp escaped parted lips.

Finding the reaction encouraging, Squall trailed his fingers lightly along smoothly shaven cheeks. He was almost inclined to shut his own eyes, but he had mapped the feel of Seifer's face out long ago.

A stern jaw, neither square nor narrow. The blond knight had strong features that demanded attention for their aesthetic appeal. The straight bridge of Seifer's nose was dignified in a way. But time and again, Squall was drawn to the slashing scar.

Tracing the diagonal mark, Squall's gentle touching was stilled when Seifer's arms wrapped around him completely and pulled him flush against a broad chest. Arms still raised, Squall settled in to return the action. His hands clasped behind the tall man's neck.

Swallowing thickly, Seifer kept his eyes shut as he felt the way every curve of the brunet molded against him. Well, almost every curve. "These belts of yours can be annoying," he mumbled.

Not replying, Squall relaxed more fully. The belts were convenient, unless he was equally as frantic to get them off as Seifer.

"I love you," the blond impressed heavily as he twined his fingers in lengthy strands of silky hair. He wondered if he'd like longer hair. Squall would be attractive with short strands or long, but he wondered what would compliment that pretty face best.

"That's what you say every night when you think I'm sleeping," Squall mumbled against the soft material of the blond's always fashionable shirt.

Tensing for a brief moment, Seifer thought Squall actually found him out. However, he realized too late that it was a bating guess, which he'd fallen for and given himself away. Chuckling, he squeezed the brunet tighter. "You're a brat," he stated.

Growing solemn, or at least seeming to while relishing the feel of the knight's chest in calm silence, Squall closed his eyes. His words of returned love were not warranted. Seifer didn't often prompt him to reply and express his love, and though he would speak up on his own occasionally, it wasn't common. It was understood that he felt very deeply for the ex-knight. It was also understood that he didn't often put those feelings into words.

"So," Seifer said, lecherously caressing his hand down Squall's backside and giving a pert ass cheek a firm grope. His eyes roved the empty office. "We're all alone."

Squall nodded slightly, not really following the line of thought but agreeing with the obvious fact. He stirred at the continued fondling, arching into the touch.

"Not a soul in sight and the doors lock from the inside."

"Seifer," Squall protested, even though his body seemed to say the knight's name in a different tone, calling out to the man and urging groping hands to continue.

"If you tell me what my present is, I'll be a good boy and wait patiently until later," Seifer proposed with an impish grin.

Squall scoffed at the idea of Seifer being a 'good boy' and the assumption that Seifer could make him do anything. "Let's get back. Laguna's waiting."

"You'd rather be with your dad than me?"

"No," Squall stated firmly. "But he's leaving tonight."

"I wasn't being serious princess, I know how you feel about the guy." Seifer placed a soft kiss to Squall head before loosening his hold and forcing his hand to stop kneading that leather clad ass.

As the blond stepped back, he offered his hand out. When stormy blue eyes gazed at him questioningly, as if his gesture was unknown to the younger man, he wriggled his fingers about to emphasize his point. "It won't kill you, just try it."

Frowning, Squall hesitated a little longer. Reluctantly, he reached out and placed his hand in Seifer's hold. The larger hand clasped his own firmly, conforming so they fit together.

The steps it took to reach the elevator were almost like a trial of what a longer walk would feel like while holding hands. Squall felt a slight apprehension, suddenly realizing he was going to be walking along while holding Seifer's hand.

It hadn't been embarrassing to have Rinoa hanging off his arm all the time, but that was because he was usually too consumed by a headache to care about the eyes that followed.

With Seifer, it wasn't so much that people would see them, but rather that he was admitting his feelings. He hadn't actually loved Rinoa, so there was nothing to admit. He'd still been the same Ice Prince that was protected by icy walls. But, with Seifer it was different. He was exposed before the blond, and therefore, everyone else as well.

As they rode the elevator down, Seifer jostled the brunet's arm. "Since when do you care so much about image? Being the Commander doesn't mean you're celibate, and people will understand why you're with me as soon as they see how sexy I am."

Squall rolled his eyes, secretly somewhat relieved by those words. Perhaps he'd been the cold Commander for so long that he didn't know how to be anything else in front of his cadets or anyone he didn't know on such a close level as Seifer and the small group of friends.

Before they reached the ground floor, Squall worried his lip before asking, "What would you be doing if you weren't my bodyguard?" He couldn't help but question what sort of life Seifer would live away from Garden, or if the blond even wanted a life outside of Balamb's comforting walls.

Seifer eyed the Commander keenly, finding he was slightly alarmed by the question for no apparent reason. "I'd probably be miserable, and that's all that matters."

With a small nod, Squall dismissed the subject. He was afraid he'd give himself away if he started pointing the blond in the direction of what his thoughts were focused on lately.

As the doors opened and the scattered bodies seemed to take notice, he came to conclusion that he had more pressing matters on his mind to care about how his actions were taken. He'd always be the Ice Prince to them, even if Seifer was living proof that his walls could be melted.

TBC…

A/N Hmm, not much to say about this chapter. I guess it's more of an establishing chapter, kind of hinting that Seifer is still concerned about what Squall's been thinking on. Don't worry, the birthday chapter will be coming soon enough. Just a few more days until the weekend.


	25. Chapter 25

Chapter Twenty-Five

Prelude to Presents

"Hey Chickie, open up," Seifer called as he knocked on the spiky haired boxer's door.

Seifer had thought about it for a while and come to the conclusion that if anyone knew about what Squall had planned that it'd Dincht.

As far as he could tell, Squall hadn't been outside of Garden since it was stationed in Fisherman's Horizon, and there wasn't anything to buy in the small town that would fit under the birthday gift category.

Considering he was practically with the Commander every hour of every day, it was difficult to imagine the little lion slipping off unnoticed. So, that meant Squall had either been planning this gift since before his return or there was outside help.

The cowboy was out of the question since Squall was obviously giving the auburn haired man some space to get over the waning infatuation. Tilmitt was out because she'd never shut her mouth about any of it.

While Dincht was the last person capable of keeping a secret, at least the short fighter wasn't obsessed with the relationship between him and Squall.

Trepe was a close second, and the person next on his list to visit that morning. He figured that if he couldn't get anything out of the blond boxer, then there was no secret in the first place.

"What do you want Seifer?" Zell growled as he approached the ex-knight from behind. Trotting closer, he ran a hand through damp hair. Having just come from the gym, he was still sweating a bit even after a shower. His hair was damp, but the gel managed to hold it upright just fine.

Turning around, Seifer smirked. "You don't sound happy to see me," the tall blond said in mock hurt.

"Well, maybe if you stopped using that damn nick name, I'd warm up to you a bit." Content that his hair was fine, Zell hopped from one foot to the next before settling down for a moment of still standing.

"Maybe if you stopped styling your hair like ruffled chicken feathers, I'd feel less inclined to pointing out the resemblance you make," Seifer shot back, his green eyes practically dancing with mirth as he stared down at the short man.

Grumbling incoherently, Zell clenched his fists and forced himself to remain calm. "So, what brings you to my place?" Cracking his knuckles was less menacing when his gloves were tucked in his pocket and not adorning his already lethal fists. However, no manner of threatening would have worked given that Seifer knew he wouldn't start anything. He'd come a long way since their days as cadets. Though he was still quick to anger, he was better able to control himself.

Taking a deep breath, Seifer relented to the fact that annoying the boxer was no way to make the boy talk. "My birthday actually," he said while keenly watching the younger man.

Not expecting such an answer, Zell was confused for a moment while his brain processed the ex-knight's words. Greater confusion set in after he understood what Seifer had said. "Your birthday?" the shorter blond questioned in disbelief, wondering if he'd heard wrong.

"Yes, birthday. You know, the day I was born," Seifer tried to keep his tone friendly, but found it came out in a condescending mock.

Bristling indignantly, Zell glared at the tall bladist. "I know what a birthday is, I just didn't know when yours was. Is there some party I should know about?"

"No, I came to ask you about my present." Seifer spoke as though he were certain the boxer knew something, despite the boy having just admitted to not even knowing when his birthday was.

"Whoa, sorry baby," Zell said with an awkward rub to the back of his neck. "I didn't get you anything."

Scoffing, Seifer assured, "I hardly expected anything from you. I want to know what Squall got me. He came to you to help him get it without my knowing, and I wanna know what it is."

Zell just laughed. "The Commander come to me to get something for you?" he said with incredulity, continuing to laugh.

Grunting, Seifer crossed his arms. "Even with your loud mouth, I figured he'd need someone who wasn't nosy."

Zell gave a consoling pat to the tall knight's upper arm. "Sorry man, you've got the wrong guy." Sobering slightly, he added, "Ask Quistis, she's good at handling this stuff and she'd keep a secret even if someone threatened to destroy the world's hotdog supply."

Wryly, Seifer stared down.

"It was a joke," Zell said, "Sheesh, lighten up." Bouncing on his feet again, he jabbed the air in demonstration of what lightening up entailed.

Seifer rolled his eyes at the familiar antics of the younger man. Mischievously reaching out, he mussed spiky blond strands about. Grinning at his accomplished trouble making, he strode away with a red faced Dincht shouting curses at his retreating back.

* * *

With the smooth swish of the door, Seifer stepped into the apartment. After seeking out Trepe and interrogating her to the point of being yelled at, he'd gone a step further blackmailed her into telling him what he wanted to know.

However, even under the threat of enlisting Tilmitt's help to recruit more Trepies, she remained adamant about the fact that she knew nothing.

Following Trepe, he'd phoned President Loire, who was more concerned with having not gotten him anything than answering his questions about what Squall had gotten him. As it stood, he had a feeling that he'd be receiving some overly expensive gift from his lover's father, perhaps a car from the man he called father more often than Squall.

Tilmitt had been a chance encounter, or rather he'd accidentally forgotten to avoid her. He'd questioned her lightly, figuring the lack of off the wall taunting about knowing everything was a dead give away that she didn't know anything. She scolded him for not reminding her about his birthday and for not showing up for the big breakfast or lunch.

He'd returned to the apartment in order to find Squall, following strict orders to be present at dinner and for the remaining festivities. The energetic woman also wanted to talk to the Commander at the earliest convenience, which meant as soon as he found the younger man.

His eyes roamed the entryway, almost feeling the lack of activity as much as he saw it. He cast his boots aside, not caring to carefully line them up along the wall like his better mannered counter part.

"Honey," he called out teasingly, "I'm home." When he received no answer, he couldn't be certain it was from Squall not being there or the brunet's refusal to reply to him.

Stepping further in, he frowned at the dim lighting. Those pretty gray-blue eyes were going to lose their sight if Squall didn't learn to flip the light switch on. It was a cloudy day out, the single window in the kitchen hardly enough to give light to the rest of the place.

As the blond knight strode to turn a ceiling light on, he finally found what he'd been in search of. His hand retracted from the switch, not wanting to disturb the resting brunet.

His little kitten was curled up on the couch with the black fur ball. Seifer smirked at the farfetched idea that Squall kept the cat close at hand when he wasn't around to snuggle with.

Quietly sidling closer, he knelt behind the lithe Commander, whose back was turned to him. Yellow eyes watched his every move.

Gabriel's head was almost indistinguishable from the rest of his body. Stirring at the approach of the tall knight, the cat rolled onto four legs, previously lying nearly on his back between Squall and the couch.

Seifer glared indignantly at the feline. "Scram," he ordered in a whisper. For a moment, he forgot that it was a cat and hardly competition for being Squall's guard.

Those big eyes stared with oval shaped pupils for a few moments longer. Seeming to understand that naptime had been interrupted, Gabriel gave a wide yawn that bared sharp teeth and a sandpaper tongue before stalking away brusquely.

With grace given by strength, Seifer carefully settled atop the smaller man. He kept his weight off of Squall, hovering carefully above the pretty Commander.

"Go feed Gabriel," the brunet ordered softly, apparently not asleep anymore.

Frowning, Seifer replied, "I wanted to wake you up with a kiss." After a pause when no response came, he added, "That cat is going to get fat if you let it eat in the cafeteria and here."

"Fine," Squall mumbled out, still not moving from his place. His eyes remained closed and his body relaxed. His temperature increased as the heat from Seifer's body was so close that he could feel it, but he didn't let on to the stirring feeling within his body.

"Tilmitt's looking for you," the blond stated, officially delivering the message and now able to move on to his personal reasons for seeking the younger man out.

"I know," Squall answered, mumbling once more. Lazily, he opened his eyes. While he could have gone back to sleep, it was already approaching late afternoon. The show was going to start in a few hours and he had explicit orders not to miss it.

"You look tired," Seifer commented. Leaning closer, he nuzzled an exposed neck.

Groaning at the knight's comment, Squall replied, "Someone kept me up all night with incessant questioning."

Seifer chuckled. It had been pretty late when he'd finally given up, but how was he to know that the brunet had to be up so early for mandatory festival work. Had Squall said something about it, he would have ended his interrogation a couple hours earlier.

Nipping at an ear, the blond explained, "If you'd just tell me what you're planning, I wouldn't have to poke and prod. You realize it'll be twice as bad tonight."

"What's the point of it being a present then?" Squall questioned evenly, not quite sure if he should keep it a secret still, even if he'd already made it to the last day. Honestly, he could care less if Seifer actually knew what he had planned. In fact, he would like to know if he was being foolish and embarrassing himself for nothing, but he'd kept his lips sealed for the sole reason of spiting his lover.

"Presents don't have to be surprises. Like, when you don't know what to get someone, so you ask them exactly what they'd like." Seifer tried to sound as logical as possible, hoping to prompt those plush lips to tell all.

Thoughtfully, Squall considered these words. Every time Seifer badgered him, he considered just saying it. It had been a crackpot idea that was more of an insecurity. Selphie was the true mastermind behind it, which he regretted from the moment he sought her advice.

Squall hadn't really thought much about getting anything for Seifer's birthday, not really being the gift giving type. But then, Seifer kept mentioning various things that they should be doing or trying out, and it seemed to him like the ex-knight was secretly serious about it.

It had taken hours of brooding over the matter to speak with Selphie about it, and it had taken even more brooding to make up his mind. He hated feeling indecisive, which meant that once he'd made up his mind, there was no going back. There was also the small factor that Selphie knew everything and she'd kill him if she found out he scratched the whole deal that she had helped him with.

Thinking about the gleam in the copper haired woman's green eyes, Squall was reminded that she seemed far more adamant about him doing this than he himself did. She'd also mentioned the element of surprise, or something of the sort in her ranting about how it should be done.

Blushing slightly, Squall felt the urge to pinch the bridge of his nose. Knowing that tomorrow was Seifer's birthday almost made him nervous. He felt like a fool already.

"Fuck Leonhart," Seifer cursed, watching the subtle change of emotions swirl within gray-blue eyes. "Is it something kinky?" he questioned, never believing for a second that his little lion would dare do something like that without at least another year's worth of his constant cajoling. However, the pinkish flush that came to the brunet's face made him wonder just what his minx had been up to.

As the blush deepened, Squall quickly turned onto his back and made to sit up. The placement of Seifer over top prevented him from sitting up.

Jade green eyes widened in disbelief. "Holy fucking Hyne," the blond cursed again. Easing his body down, he lay against Squall, not wanting the younger man to escape when he was on the right path. His shot in the dark opened up a whole new array of avenues to meander down.

"Do you know how sexy that is?" the knight questioned huskily, his mind already creating a number of scenarios and ideas. When Squall still seemed reluctant and skittish, obviously not too enthused by the idea, he pressed his lips to the brunet's. Meshing his lips with fervor, he broke away to assured, "Hyne, I wanna screw you just thinking about."

The enthusiasm expressed was like a wave of relief washing over Squall. As he returned the kiss, parting his lips to welcome a seeking tongue, he felt his relief was accompanied by excitement. For the first time, he started to look forward to the next day. If Seifer were this responsive while not really knowing what he had in store, then what would the knight do tomorrow evening?

As the ex-knight's hands began to run up and down his body, Squall parted his legs to allow for a better positioning. Their kiss continued with mounting heat. Each time Squall considered the reactionary result of Seifer screwing him fast and hard, he gave a soft moan.

"It's…" the Commander trailed off as he was interrupted by the knight's continued exploration of his mouth with a silky wet appendage.

"It's what?" Seifer asked after forcing himself to leave the brunet's mouth alone for a few seconds. He was a thousand times more curious now than before.

"It's only for your birthday," Squall finished as he gazed up from beneath heavy lids.

Seifer groaned, now knowing for certain it was something better than he could have ever suspected. If Squall weren't willing to do it more than once a year, then tomorrow might very well be the greatest day of his life.

"What is it?" the blond asked, having a few more specific ideas in his head. While he'd never mentioned the use of food, he now pictured Squall in naught but that black apron and a supply of whipped cream and other sundae toppings.

Squall suddenly seemed to realize the advantage of knowing something the knight didn't. Though he spoke impassively, his words were still taunting, "If I told you, it wouldn't be a surprise."

"I don't need a surprise." Seifer said quickly, his excitement apparent. When stormy blue eyes seemed to regard him as if guarding a secret, he threatened, "I'm getting hard just imagining it. There's no way I'll let you sleep tonight unless I know." His double meaning was blatant enough for the brunet to pick up on.

Rolling his eyes, Squall admitted his main reason for not telling. "We have to see Selphie soon. She can tell if you know anything, and she'll kill me if you know ahead of time."

"Tilmitt knows?" Seifer questioned incredulously.

The faint blush returned to Squall's cheeks. He didn't reply right away, not exactly willing to admit how everything came about.

"You needed help," Seifer said, guessing on the mark with his ability to read every subtle nuance. Licking his lips, he added, "Because you didn't know where to start."

Eyes averted, Squall neither denied nor admitted the truth of Seifer's words. Though, it wasn't so much where to start, as it was how to get a hold of what he needed.

"You're killing me," the blond stated before dipping down to recapture soft lips. Like a child in his giddy excitement, he hardly felt ridiculous when he was so consumed by it all. He was torn between wanting to know and wanting to be surprised. While the anticipation was almost nerve wracking, the excitement was invigorating.

Turning twenty had never seemed like such a wonderful event until minutes ago. This was yet another reason why he loved Squall so much. The brunet never ceased to amaze him or endear him a little more each day. If he could show Squall just how much his heart swelled, he would.

Though Seifer couldn't show the extent of his affection all at once, he could express the sort of passion he felt. Kissing the brunet with increasing gruffness, he roughly demanded the younger man to feel what he felt.

Eyes closed, Squall found himself teetering the edge between ecstasy and insanity. His hands were firmly grasping soft hair. He was unable to keep up with the blond's assertive tongue and lips, but he'd become so comfortable with the act that he hardly cared who did all the tasting.

Seifer nibbled and sucked on the brunet's slick bottom lip. As he delved in for more, he groaned at the returned sucking of his aroused kitten, the younger man obviously welcoming his wet appendage in deeper.

Needing better leverage, Seifer broke away for a quick moment. Sitting back, he reached down and pulled Squall up, finding that it would take too long to explain his actions and then let the brunet sit up.

The soft sound of contentment when their lips crashed together once more was a reminder that during times of arousal, Squall enjoyed a bit of manhandling.

It was a contradiction in their natures that made sex an instance of compromise or one of them getting their way. Squall liked it hard and fast, rough hands groping and fondling with bruising strength. Seifer liked it drawn out and slow, the painful prolonging of fulfillment making the final moments so gratifying and pleasurable that he couldn't think straight. Together they often switched between varying moments of patience and the inability to hold back any longer.

Squall rocked against the ex-knight, straddling a muscular thigh and finding his body heatedly searching for friction.

Encouraging hands kneaded the brunet's ass, assisting in the movement. Seifer was torn between watching and never wanting to stop kissing Squall again. To see the lithe Commander in those tight leather pants sliding along his leg to gyrate in pleasure was certainly tempting.

A wonderfully arousing idea filled the knight's head. "Let me watch you," he said with a heavy breath as he broke away from enticing lips.

Squall's eyes remained closed for an additional moment, his lips swollen and parted expectantly. When the blond didn't continue kissing him after speaking, he ignored the spoken words and leaned closer to initiate the contact he wanted.

While Seifer welcomed the press of soft lips, he was determined to make his request heard. Feeling the hardening bulged against his thigh, he almost smirked at his underhanded intentions.

Reaching down, Seifer cupped the brunet's arousal and gave a firm rub.

"Nnh," Squall moaned into the blond's mouth. Arms wrapping around the tanned man's neck, he found he was too overwhelmed to even know what a kiss was at the moment.

Seifer licked his lips in a relishing manner before grinning broadly. Stroking his fingers along the thick fabric, he gave Squall more than just a little indirect rubbing. As the brunet's head fell against his shoulder, he continued his ministrations.

Finding that it was an opportune moment to make requests, the blond reiterated, "I want to watch you."

"What?" Squall questioned at a loss, his mind unable to comprehend the knight's meaning.

"Touch yourself, let me watch you masturbate," Seifer clarified huskily.

Squall was too aroused to be embarrassed at the request, so he simply said, "No."

"Please," Seifer added, wondering if the magic word would get him what he wanted.

Not the type to repeat himself, Squall didn't reply. Unable to move closer, the odd positioning forcing him to lean in as opposed to pressing against the blond completely, the brunet detached himself from the knight and slid away.

Squall's target was the bulge in Seifer's pants, his decency demanding that he return the favor of being fondled.

Cupping the hardened bulge, Squall gave a firm rub before making to undo the pants.

With a groan, Seifer let his head fall to the back of the couch. He could only assume being polite hadn't changed Squall's mind. It didn't really matter. The odds of him being able to seduce the brunet into masturbating for him were slim to none on his first try. Something like that would take a couple months of begging, which he was not too proud to do if it was for a good enough cause.

"What's my present?" the blond questioned as he raised his hips to shift forward to the edge of the cushion.

"Can't say," Squall mumbled. Eyes fixed on what his hands were doing, he watched with growing desire as the knight's throbbing length sprang free of restrictive black slacks and boxers.

"I don't like surprises," Seifer complained. Swallowing audibly, his breath hitched as soft lips ghosted the tip of his penis.

Flicking his tongue across the weeping slit, Squall found his greatest enjoyment in the level of control he had and the expressive groaning of the older boy.

As Squall proceeded to suck Seifer off with torturous teasing, prolonging the final moment just as the blond liked it, all thoughts of birthdays and presents were abolished.

Seifer finally came with panting breaths and eyes that wouldn't focus even if he opened them. His hands were tangled in soft dark brown hair while his cock spurt cum into his lover's mouth.

Head thrown back, Seifer continued to ride his pleasure out, feeling shudders of his fulfilling end course through him as Squall swallowed every last drop.

The knight's fingers began to gently stroke the hair he'd previously gripped harshly. Squall hands were at his hips, forcing him to keep still when all he wanted was to thrust into that wet cavern. Even now, he felt the urge to do it all over again, not caring that an erection wouldn't come so soon after ejaculating.

Squall released the softening length from his mouth, a wet trail following that he contently licked away.

Seifer beckoned the brunet to him, making to return the favor. His appreciation was shown as he held the brunet close and sucked at a pale neck until he'd made a lasting mark.

Tomorrow would remain a mystery and he'd spend the night tossing and turning because of it. But Squall had this way about him that made Seifer tolerant of almost anything.

They had scarce time before they were mandated to be in the quad and attend the festival. Seifer didn't exactly mind, looking forward to the chance of appearing in a more public area with his arms around the Commander.

As Seifer directed the brunet to lay down, he languidly went about unfastening the single belt and leather pants.

Arching, Squall welcomed the feel of Seifer's tongue as it laved the underside of his penis. All returning thoughts of the following day and the festival disappeared as Seifer sucked him off.

The sounds of pleasure that came from the Commander forced Seifer to focus solely on the task at hand, pushing him to try and make it better than each time before. If they weren't pressed for time, he'd take it farther.

Restlessly tossing about, Squall was stayed only by the forceful grip at his hips, keeping his lower body in place as his cock was pleasured. He couldn't imagine living without this in his life, the mind numbing ecstasy and the feeling of complete attachment to another person.

The knight only teased as much as whimpering pleas would let him. Squall's release came quicker than his. His technique centered on giving the brunet exactly what was desired and not continually building it up and then drawing back.

When it was over, they shared another heated kiss. Squall still felt the shooting pleasure as he tasted the linger flavor of his own essence.

"You're everything to me," Seifer muttered as they wound down from their frantic exchange. He always felt as though the depth of his feelings never reached Squall through words, but he kept trying.

Squall's arms linked around the broad form of the blond, relishing the firm weight atop his body. He couldn't exactly speak what he felt, never having proper words for even trivial emotions, let alone the sort that overwhelmed him.

Silently, Squall hugged the blond, almost drifting towards the sated sleep that usually overtook his body after having sex with Seifer. His own stipulations with sexual exploits were worth forgetting in order to give the ex-knight something worthwhile the next day. He'd probably find it impossible to put aside his mortification, but he'd manage to follow through for two reasons. The first reason was that it was for Seifer. The second reason was that it was a one-time deal.

TBC…

A/N Sorry for the prolonged update, I went to New Hampshire for a few days and didn't have the internet. Anyway, the next chapter is definitely going to be interesting. I'll have both the festival and the Seifer's birthday in it, so it'll be long.


	26. Chapter 26

Disclaimer: Previously, I mentioned that Seifer was turning nineteen. I've altered it to twenty, sorry. I was torn between how old I should make him, but since I'm saying he failed the SeeD exam several times, I figure he's more than a year older than Squall… a year and several months.

Chapter Twenty-Six

A Decision Made

At four o'clock it was still quite bright outside, though the layers of white snow may have helped with that a bit.

Standing near the outer gates, Seifer and Squall waited along with everyone else that had ever come from the seaside orphanage in Centra. There were a few new faces, younger cadets that had only recently journeyed to Balamb Garden.

As willing as Squall was to accommodate Selphie's wishes, mainly for the sake of Matron and Cid, he wasn't too pleased with becoming a part of the welcome wagon.

A day late, Cid and Matron phoned to say they would indeed be making it in time for the best part of the festival. They explained that in order to make it by Friday they'd planned on leaving Monday with hopes of arriving Tuesday. Matron said that it was near impossible to not be several days late when attempting to travel with so many children. So, even though they had planned to arrive early so as not to be late, they were still late.

Seifer stood straight, be it from some sense of propriety at seeing Matron for the first time since the war ended or from a need to appear imposing while on duty. Donning a sharp black suit, his tie set in place with precision, his long black trench coat aided in keeping the cold chill at bay.

Silent since leaving the apartment, Squall stood in his usual manner with his weight shifted off to one leg. The slight lean in his stance brought him just a little closer to the tall blond.

Running a gloved hand through his hair, Squall attempted to settle the lengthy strands in a neater manner. His efforts didn't make much of a difference. He glanced sidelong at the ex-knight, seeing the way in which blond strands were combed back and staying in place despite the winds.

Seifer caught those grey-blue eyes before the brunet turned away. Smirking a little, he reached out and ruffled the mop of chocolate brown hair. With his leather glove in place he couldn't feel the soft silken texture, nor could he smell the clean scent from his distance.

Before Squall could protest, he leaned in to whisper, "You look sexy with messy hair. It looks like I just fucked you." He let his hand linger, wondering if it would be pushed away.

Rolling his eyes despite the warmth that spread through him, Squall gently knocked Seifer's hand away. Crossing his arms once more, he ignored the disarray of his hair. He figured that after eighteen years of not caring what he looked like, right then wasn't a good time to start. It was just that memories of Matron fawning over each of them surfaced and he felt a certain need to impress her in some odd way.

Maybe it was some form of guilt. Squall wouldn't presume to assume anyone's emotions, but he could imagine that Edea Kramer might feel guilt for anyone who wasn't able to lead a good life after the war. For that reason, it seemed like a good idea that Matron understand just how well off they were in Balamb Garden.

Huddling deeper into the worn leather of his bomber jacket, Squall felt the fur collar brush against his cheeks as the wind changed direction.

"Cold?" Seifer questioned. Seeing the way the Commander's arms to keep warm made him stir with the want to wrap his arms around the younger man.

"I'm fine," Squall dismissed.

It was Seifer's turn to roll his eyes. Returning his focus towards the gates, he scanned the area. "When are they getting here Tilmitt?"

"Soon," Selphie replied. A wide smile was permanently plastered to her face as she was held within the warm embrace of her dearest cowboy. It was a small gesture, one that Irvine had shown her before, but it gave her a happy feeling all the same.

Together, the bouncy pilot and gunman nearly fit within the long brown leather duster.

"You said that ten minutes ago," Zell complained. Hopping from foot to foot, he blew on his hands.

"Pants might have been a wiser choice," Irvine drawled with mirth.

Shooting the gunman a half-hearted glare, Zell explained, "It was a lot warmer inside, which is where normal people would be waiting."

Quistis, who was furthest away from the neat line up everyone else stood in, faced the Garden as she spoke with a group of first years. She was more than fine with only a thick woolen overcoat. Her skirt certainly allowed just as much cold air in as Zell's long shorts.

"I think your problems are solved Zell," the new Headmistress announced as she gazed towards the Garden steps.

Turning with chattering teeth, Zell punched the air and trotted in place while Greta approached. His mind-reading wife had brought him his winter jacket, which he'd forgone under the impression that they would be waiting inside.

At the insistence of the spiky haired boxer, the head chef remained with the group, despite protests of needing to get back to the kitchens. Zell proudly proclaimed that body heat was the best way to keep warm, and thus mimicked Selphie and Irvine.

As the minutes passed with no sign of Cid or Matron or the children they were bringing, Quistis sidled up to Squall. "I'm in love with the new curriculum," she said with a soft smile.

Squall couldn't help but give a faint smile of his own. He had hoped she'd appreciate the ideas that were the basis for the changes in the training regime. It was entirely based on their experiences from the war, a greater understanding of what SeeD really needed to know.

"I wanted to ask you about Xu," the blonde woman said curiously.

If Squall felt slight alarm at those words, he didn't show it. Remaining silent, he left himself open to be asked any questions, though whether he'd answer was yet to be seen.

"I talked to her earlier this morning. She said she was sorry for not being able to make it, but wondered if I'd ask you if Monday was alright?"

Impassively, Squall stared forward. He ignored keen jade green eyes that were now intently gazing at him while listening in. "I'll contact her to discuss it."

Sighing, Quistis had to remind herself that it was always a guessing game with Squall. She could never be certain if she was prying into matters that weren't her business or matters that the Commander took upon himself and kept from them for the sake of sparing them. Lately, it was always personal, and for that she'd kept her badgering under control.

However, the idea that Xu could be involved and it was a personal matter didn't seem likely. So Quistis decided to pursue the subject. "Is she coming here for any particular reason?"

"Upon my request," Squall answered evenly.

Opening her mouth to press further, Quistis shut it before uttering a single syllable. Shaking her head as a consequence of her inner thoughts, she said, "I see." Not pushing Squall on the matter, she gazed towards the roadway just beyond the tall gates.

The blonde instructor had gone back on her decision. Ever since Seifer had returned, dealing with Squall was not the same as before. She noticed many changes within the brunet, one of which was the ability to rely on all of them more. If Xu were coming for any reason that they should know of, she felt confident that Squall would tell her without being nagged.

With slight guilty, Squall also cast his gaze forward. He'd finally come to a decision about his resignation. If Xu would agree, then she would become the new Commander… effective immediately.

"I see them!" Selphie cried.

* * *

The quad was packed with cadets and guests alike. It seemed no one minded the cold if they could huddle close with friends and step inside to warm up with coffee and cocoa before returning to watch the show.

Early in the afternoon there was karaoke, followed by a talent contest. Now, the band played with occasional interludes by predetermined performers.

Selphie stood at the stage's front on an upraised podium. Her arms moved around sporadically as she attempted to conduct the band. While the players found it odd, they easily ignored it.

Kept close by for the majority of the day's events was Selphie's favorite knight, sir Laguna. As a festival enthusiast, he was quite content to be involved and dragged about as the bouncy young woman oversaw each show.

The cafeteria was the least crowded place to be. Because of this, Squall spent most of his time idly sitting in a familiar corner.

The brunet sat with his back to the large glass pane that formed the wall. Seifer was at his right and Cid to his left. Glancing up, he gazed at Matron seated in front.

The four had taken their seats to quietly discuss matters while catching up. With the exception of Cid, who wore his usual sweater vest and khakis, they all seemed to be dressed for a funeral. At least together they seemed to be wearing an unusual amount of black.

Edea's long raven hair was in a loose bun, wispy tendrils framing her refined features. Wearing a long black dress, she slowly sipped a cup of tea.

Squall noted that the older woman's hair was graying. From the roots around her temples, the aging process seemed to have jumped ahead instantaneously. It was proof that the war had been a great grievance and stress upon her.

Cid's usually light brown hair was just as gray as ever, streaks of faded hair present throughout. A slight weight loss gave him a slimmer figure, though he was still far from fighting shape. The former Headmaster was no longer a part of Garden, his glory days lived out long ago.

"It's good to see you again," the older man stated for the second time since his arrival. Slate blue eyes regarded the current Commander with pride. It had been too much to hope that the prodigy bladist would step up to the plate and bring victory against Ultimecia. And, it was an even greater feat that Squall had run Garden with such aptitude and sharp sense.

"How are you holding up?" Edea followed in question, amber eyes never ceasing their concerned gaze towards the pale brunet. "You look a little thin and tired, is it too much for you?"

Seifer remained silent, just waiting for the moment when their relationship would be addressed. Part of him was slightly jealous of the attention Squall received. Matron always seemed to fret over Squall more than everyone else.

"I'm f-" Squall began to reply monotonously, but he was cut off.

"And don't say you're fine," the older woman chastised.

Bristling under the concerned scrutiny of the only woman he'd known to care for him like a mother, Squall crossed his arms. His fingers tugged on the soft cotton material of his black turtleneck, straightening nonexistent wrinkles.

"He's healthy enough if that's what you're getting at," Seifer supplied seriously. Gently ruffling soft brown locks, he added, "He's doing better."

Giving a hesitant nod of approval, the dark haired woman smiled. "I've missed your stoic presence at the orphanage," she said. "I love all my children, but you six were truly special."

Squall wasn't sure how to respond. It had been years since he'd seen Matron prior to the war's start. He hadn't even remembered her, which seemed shameful on his part. Then again, he hadn't remembered any of the others except Seifer.

"How's the orphanage?" the brunet questioned, making certain to be clear since he recalled how Matron chastised him for mumbling quietly.

"Wonderful thanks to you. You should visit us. It's just beautiful there now. The old orphanage is rebuilt and even the lighthouse is back in working order."

Squall gave a faint smile. With his ridiculous salary it was a trifle to send funding to the orphanage. It wasn't that he felt particularly obligated or held any sense of duty. It was just that he honestly had no place to put all that money.

"We've expanded," Cid added. "Becoming SeeD is apparently the dream of many young teens these days. Everyone we brought with us is here to get a feel for the place."

Eyebrows rising slightly, Squall expressed his surprise. "There are at least thirty kids," he muttered in thought.

"Exactly thirty," Edea commented, wondering if Squall had counted heads or guessed.

"Well," Cid said gruffly, "being SeeD has become a glorified career, what with the publicity surrounding you and everyone else."

Squall frowned. He wasn't sure he liked the idea of so many fourteen year olds enrolling under the assumption that it was all fun and games. Then again, reality would be discovered after the first few months, which meant no harm would be done. Everyone was free to drop out or simply forgo the field exam and take what was learned with them as they moved on to something else in life.

"They adore you," Edea said with a wider smile.

Blinking in confusion, Squall wasn't sure he'd heard right. "They don't even know me," he pointed out.

"But they've heard all about you. I can't tell you how many times I've told them stories before bed about you and the others. I believe their favorite part is when you traveled into space."

Confusion mounting, Squall cast a glance at Seifer to see if he was alone in his confusion.

Seifer seemed to agree with Squall. "Wouldn't telling them about it give them nightmares or something?"

Cid chuckled. "No my dear boy, not when it's told right. They want stories of heroes, the sort found in children's books."

Sitting straighter, the blond frowned. "So what am I in these stories?" he questioned indignantly. It was one thing to be the evil sorceress knight in real life, but to be made into some sort of harmless big bad wolf was insulting to his delicate ego.

Reaching out, Edea cupped the young man's cheek. "You're the lost knight," she said.

Grumbling, Seifer was compelled to settle down. How was he supposed to object when Matron was being all motherly on him?

Deciding to change the subject, Cid glanced from one young man to the other. "I'd always hoped you two would find some way to settle your differences. Though, I never imagined it would turn out this way."

Seifer shrugged, impervious to the disbelief others felt about him and Squall. "We still fight, just now we have sex too."

Pinching the bridge of his nose, Squall hid the blush that came to his face.

Amber eyes widened in shock. "Seifer Almasy, you will have some sense of propriety with your words or so help me I'll find the nearest bar of soap and wash your mouth out."

"Or send me to the corner?" the blond lilted good-naturedly.

"I'm stronger than I look young man, I may just take you over my knee."

Barking with laughter, Seifer's baritone voice rang out and drew attention from nearby tables. "Sorry Matron, Squally-boy is the only person I'd ever let spank me."

"Seifer," Squall hissed, his cheeks flaming at that point.

"Well, it's certainly nice to know you aren't out to kill each other," Cid interjected, rephrasing his previous assurance. Uncertain for a moment, he followed up, "I'm curious though, were you two _involved_ as cadets?"

"Cid," Edea chastised, "That's not our business."

"It's fine," Seifer said. "There's no big secret about it. Nothing started 'til I came back."

"In November?" the raven-haired woman questioned with apparent incredulity.

"Yeah," Seifer said in a manner that seemed to dare anyone to make something of it.

Frowning, Cid shared his wife's feeling of surprise. "That's an awfully short time boys, don't you agree?"

"No," Seifer stated flatly. He wasn't exactly defensive, not against Cid or Matron, but he felt strongly about the matter. Reaching over, he drew Squall's hand to rest atop the table and entwined their fingers. He gave a firm squeeze to express his appreciation for the brunet's compliance, knowing that public displays of any chaste level were generally done with great reluctance.

"You made a public announcement," the former Headmaster reminded, impressing the severity of such a move.

"It was necessary," Squall replied. "We weren't keeping it secret, and it was not something Galbadia or any place else would take lightly especially if I didn't say anything ahead of time."

Churning the young Commander's words over, the older man gave a firm nod and hummed in agreement. "But, after such a short period of time, was it wise to jump the gun?"

"It was the lesser evil," Squall admitted. "But I don't doubt our relationship, if that's what you mean."

Seifer gave another firm squeeze to the brunet's smaller hand, finding the impassively spoken words caused his chest to swell.

"After what we've been through, I'm not sure what you expect could break us up," Seifer said soundly. He referred to their years of rivalry and clashing sides during the war, not to mention having already endured harsh scrutiny. "I don't exactly see myself becoming tired of…" he paused while giving Matron a knowing glance, "of engaging in sexual intercourse when he has such an attractive physique."

"Dear Hyne Seifer," Edea chastised again, "When I said propriety I meant have some decency for vagueness."

Seifer just laughed, a knowing gleam in his mischievous green eyes.

Coughing in discomfort over the ex-knight's words, Cid tried to seem casual about it all. "I can't say that I've always approved of homosexuality, but this certainly hits close to home. You boys are like my sons, and I'll accept this if it's what makes you happy."

"If I was like your son, then why'd you fail me on the field exam four times in a row?" Seifer complained with a note of bitter sarcasm.

Cid just chuckled. Adjusting his small wire rimmed glasses to sit higher on his crooked nose, he stared right into jade green eyes. "You weren't ready," he said evenly. "I could never impress how important it was to respect your superiors. I thought making you squad leader would help, but you still ignored orders from Xu and Quistis."

"Yeah, and figured out what was really going on in that tower. You should have given me a medal."

"Well I've been wrong before," Cid admitted. Turning his slate blue eyes towards the pale brunet, he explained, "I had my doubts about you as well. I'd hoped you'd step up as a leader when Seifer disobeyed orders and was reluctant to pass you after you followed him."

Squall's eyes narrowed slightly. He never asked to be made a leader, yet here he was as the Commander. Seifer had always been more of a leader, something he never tried to vie the blond for. "I still stand by my decision on that day. Seifer took the correct course of action, which is why I went with him."

Edea beamed at the brunet. Reaching over to her husband, she sought out his hand and clasped it. "They are sweet together, aren't they?" she said loud enough for Seifer and Squall to hear clearly.

Squall's face remained impassive, a blush threatening to come but stopped by a conscious effort to keep his feelings hidden.

Sitting back, Edea sipped her tea a bit more, the hot liquid now cooled to better suit her. "Greta seems like such a dear, don't you think?"

"They're a little young," Cid commented.

"We were that young when we were married," the older woman reminded.

"Which was in January, almost thirty years ago," Cid interjected quickly, spouting it off as if some conditioned response.

"I take it someone forgot his wedding anniversary," Seifer commented with a smirk.

The former Headmaster locked eyes with the former knight. "Never underestimate the importance of any anniversary, even if it's the first time you see a movie together."

"He's never forgotten," Edea soothed with a loving smile towards her husband. "But he prides himself on remembering every date. He knows the day we first met, our first date, our first walk in the park."

Seifer chuckled. "It's a good thing I didn't know any of this while you were the Headmaster, or I'd never have listened to a word you said."

Brows raised, Cid felt adamant about his knack for remembering every moment between him and his wife. "As I recall, you never listened anyway."

Nodding, the blond conceded, "True enough."

"So, tell me more about Greta. Zell didn't have much of a chance to tell me everything," Edea said, returning to the topic of her choice.

"Dincht eloped. There isn't much to tell," Seifer offered reasonably. "From what I hear, it was as much a surprise as myself and Squally-boy."

Slightly deflated, Edea said, "I see." Brightening a moment later, seeming to hint at where Selphie learned her bouncy nature, she explained, "I'm just a mother hen. I worry about all my children and like to know what's going on in their lives."

"Garden has been good to us," Squall stated solemnly.

Cid's lips pressed together, torn between smiling and frowning. Leaning closer, he clasped a hand at the side of the Commander's head. Giving a solid nudge, he locked eyes with the brunet while speaking, "You're a good boy Squall. It's been a gift watching you grow and become the young man you are today."

"Sir," Squall said firmly, acknowledging the authority he still attributed the man to having.

Smiling briefly, Cid pulled back from the exchange, the closest he'd get to giving the guarded Commander a hug. There was always a heavy burden in his heart for running Garden with the purpose of training mercenaries to eradicate dangerous sorceresses. As a knight, it was like working against the very nature of his soul. When Edea had been possessed and he'd faced the possibility of killing his own wife, it had become too much. Squall's words meant a lot to him. To hear confirmation of how Garden had benefited at least one person was very meaningful to him.

"Goodness," Edea exclaimed with her attention drawn away from the table towards the food counter. "It's nearly eleven thirty," she explained, her eyes focused on the clock mounted on the wall.

"The fireworks," Cid said in exasperation. "We'd better go. It'll take at least half an hour to round the kids up. I don't want them going too close."

With similar nods of understanding from both the Commander and ex-knight, the married pair left to attend the guests they'd brought all the way from Centra.

* * *

As the sky lit up with striking colors against a starkly contrasting canvas of clear night sky, the crowds gathered. Visible from all parts of Garden, cadets sought their choice of viewing grounds. The balcony within the ballroom had been opened for that night specifically, which created a nice setting.

Squall and Seifer remained in a nearly empty cafeteria, the lights having been turned off just before the first firework sailed into the air. It wasn't the best view, but there was far less noise and it was warm. Side by side before the tall glass wall, they had a perfectly acceptable view.

Most of the cadets that had been milling within the dining hall had ambled to the courtyard just beyond the large pane of enforced glass.

The blond and brunet were practically invisible within the dark room, except for when the various fireworks lit the sky up and cast various colors across their forms. With no eyes upon them, Squall was hardly reluctant to accept the arm around his shoulders and lean into the embrace.

It was some time into the never ceasing show of flashing explosives that Squall recalled the time.

Craning his head upward, having slid into a more comfortable position against Seifer, he whispered, "Happy Birthday."

Stunned for quiet moment, Seifer looked down. Moving from his reclined position, he shifted closer. As Squall straightened, he cupped the brunet's face and gently kissed the younger man.

"Let's go back," he murmured against soft lips that he had yet to kiss with all the bruising fervor he had pent up inside.

Squall nodded, finding the older boy's sudden change in nature caused a rising heat in himself. Seifer seemed anxious, but it wasn't a rushed sort of request. It was almost as if the blond had not vocalized the true meaning, a sensual request for a night of slow foreplay and heated sex.

TBC…

A/N Alright, so the whole long chapter didn't work out as planned. Instead, I wound up with two chapters. I was going to put them together, but they both deal with different things so it didn't seem right. Anyway, never fear, the next one is also up and that contains Seifer's present. Oh, and don't worry about the fact that the title of the chapter refers to a very abrupt and small part of it. I will explain more about Squall's decision.


	27. Chapter 27

Warning: Explicit sexual content.

Chapter Twenty-Seven

Seifer's Birthday Part I

It was approaching noon when Squall awoke.

Dazed with a lingering feel of heavy limbed gratification from having made love, the brunet drifted for several long minutes. He could feel angled rays of sun on his back.

Blinking, he glanced at the empty space beside him. He was lying prone on the bed, the covers strewn about and covering only his lower half.

His mind replayed the night before. If anyone knew how to draw sex out, it was Seifer. The man must have taken him to the near edge of orgasm seven times before finally allowing him to find his release. As mind blowing as it had been each of the times they'd done it, he felt a certain impatience for immediate climax. It was indeed a heightened experience that he mostly appreciated when his mind went blank and he was plundered while finding release under the greatest of pleasures.

"Hyne," he muttered against the plain white sheets. His muscles were sore, having been at it for so long the previous night. Sex could prove to be quite the work out.

Remembering that he was alone, he attempted to wake up completely. It was difficult when his body wanted nothing more than to fall back to the inviting bed and sleep well into the afternoon.

Bleary eyed, Squall scanned the floor for a pair of briefs or pants. It took an extra moment for him to realize the floor was clear of all articles of clothing. They were in Seifer's bedroom, having used his for the sex and moved to the blond's for sleeping. It was a convenient system if they made sure to wash the bedding regularly, which meant everyday.

Groaning in complaint, assuming his were the only ears to overhear, he nabbed the top sheet on the bed and pulled it despite causing the quilt to drop to the floor. Sufficiently covered, only planning to stumble the few feet to his own room, he exited Seifer's room. Walking around naked wasn't bothersome in any particular way for him, but on the off chance that someone other than Seifer was in the apartment, he'd prefer to be wearing a sheet than nothing.

The aroma of cooking eggs and bacon reached the Commander. The sound of a pan being shifted on the stovetop told him exactly where his knight had gone.

A small smile played across his lips. Seifer was cooking breakfast, and for some inexplicable reason, he was completely endeared by it.

Objective changed, Squall procrastinated on the process of dressing himself and walked towards the kitchen, the flimsy sheet trailing at his heals in excess. Approaching the open entryway, he stepped in just a bit and leaned against the wall to observe.

The sight of the handsome blond was more than just endearing, it was also highly arousing.

In black slacks and a type of knit forest green sweater, Squall let his eyes trail from a trim waist to the muscular forearms visible since the sleeves were pushed up.

Seifer sensed Squall's presence, turning after he finished cutting a red pepper for the omelet. The knife that he hadn't quite set down completely clattered to the cutting board.

Green eyes narrowed at the sight presented to him. Did Squall understand what it meant to entice him, to drive him crazy with lust?

"Morning," Squall greeted. "You realize that if breakfast is any good, we're taking turns cooking each night."

Seifer didn't respond. His eyes were busy roving the form of his little lion who had bed rumbled hair and wore naught but a sheet. A teasing shoulder peaked out, calling to him.

Stalking forward, Seifer closed the distance between them in less than three long strides. Grasping Squall's shoulders, he roughly pushed the brunet against the wall, the collision minor given that the pale brunet was so close to it already.

"Seifer?" Squall voiced in questioned, a hitch in his utterance as his breath escaped him a little too quickly.

"What?" the blond practically growled out in response, not angrily but impatiently.

As Squall gazed into darkening green eyes, his senses were sharpened and he felt completely awakened. Seeing the raw desire in Seifer's eyes, he relaxed against the wall and the firm grasp. He submitted completely at the mere prospect of Seifer taking him hard. "Nothing," he returned, almost forgetting that he should reply.

With crushing force, Seifer brought his lips to Squall's. Demanding entrance immediately, he hooked an arm around the smaller man and hitched him higher against the wall to elicit a gasp. Taking advantage of parted lips, he delved deeply into the brunet's mouth.

It was Sunday, which was a very dangerous day for Seifer. However, seeing as it was also his birthday, he had every right to demand complete isolation and never leave the apartment.

Just as Seifer had the brunet hitched high enough for lean legs to wrap around his waist and for that sheet to fall from the lithe frame, the scent of burning bacon permeated the room.

"Fuck," Seifer cursed, reluctantly cutting the heatedly passionate moment to a screeching halt.

Squall would have laughed, had he not felt such a loss at ending the kiss so soon. Sliding back to the ground as the blond slowly released him, he stood on slightly unsteady legs and drew the sheet up again.

As Seifer fumbled to turn the stove off and get the bacon off the flat griddle, he kept casting furtive glances at Squall. He burned himself twice, finding that it was easy to forget about what he was doing when he had his kitten standing there with nothing but a sheet hiding that sinful body.

"You'll be the death of me," the blond grumbled when everything was taken care of. The omelet contained no peppers, having cooked too fast while he'd been occupied for only a couple minutes.

"It smells good," the brunet said in a soft tone, neither condescending nor sarcastic, but also not wholly reassuring.

Seifer scoffed. "If it doesn't taste good, then it's your fault."

Squall gave an amused smile at this. Stepping across the kitchen, he moved close to the blond. With one arm free of the readjusted sheet, he gave the taller man a hug. "Happy twentieth," he said quietly before pulling back.

Turning to head to his room for proper clothes, Squall was stopped by the strong arms that encircled him from behind.

Seifer held on tightly. His eyes closed as he nuzzled the soft mop of hair. He craned lower to trail his lips across the juncture of neck and shoulder. "Hyne I love you so much," he stated heavily.

The shudder that wracked Squall's body was stayed by the embrace he was in. "I love you," he returned, stating it as though a separate remark from the blond's, something not prompted to be spoken.

For several minutes, Seifer kept his hold, his body refusing to release Squall. Finally, when it seemed like he might very well remain that way all day, he said, "I'll let you get dressed, though I wanted to bring you breakfast in bed."

"It's your birthday," Squall reminded, wondering if he had the whole concept backwards or something. As far as he knew, the special treatment was given to the person whose birthday it was.

"Trust me," Seifer whispered against the brunet's ear. "Seeing you in bed the way I left you was present enough." As if on cue, the blond quickly followed up, "What's my present?"

Squall pressed his lips together in an attempt not to laugh. However, he failed, his voice sounding in rich laughter at the knight's expense. "I thought my sleeping in bed was present enough for you," he said.

Groaning at the evasive nature of his dodging kitten, he said, "It is. But seeing as how you have something in store, I can't very well turn you down."

"Later," Squall assured.

"You're a tease," the blond stated.

As the ex-knight released him, Squall cast a last glance behind before walking out of the kitchen.

* * *

The clear weather had carried on throughout the day, lasting into the afternoon.

However, the blueness of the sky was hardly what Seifer noticed or cared about.

The ex-knight was in the town of Balamb, accompanied by the bubbly Tilmitt and seething because of it.

"Come on Seifer, lighten up," Selphie placated.

"Where's Squall?" the blond reiterated, stopping in the middle of the sidewalk.

The streets were busy, milling with locals and cadets from Garden.

"I'll explain everything once we get to the harbor," she assured. The fact that Seifer was likely to simply turn and leave doused her flames of excitement and left her feeling anxious.

Seifer's eyes narrowed. "You'll tell me everything I want to know or you'll be swimming in frigid water."

Selphie laughed, but trailed off as she realized it wasn't a joke. She sorely missed her nunchaku.

Downtrodden at having the fun taken from the whole affair, Selphie lead Seifer through town. Her steps slowed as they past Ma Dincht's house, but Seifer read her thoughts and ordered her to keep going.

By the time the harbor came into view, Selphie was practically jogging to keep up with the ex-knight who had taken the lead.

"Slow down," she chastised. The whole point was to give Squall time. She was both elated when the Commander had come to her and jealous of the lengths Squall was willing to go to in order to make Seifer happy.

As Seifer neared the port's edge, he demanded, "Where is Squall?"

"Squall's at Garden," the copper haired woman answered truthfully.

"Then why are we here?" the blond hissed.

"I wanted to give him some time to prepare," she said with a beaming smile, proud of her handy work. Reaching into the bag she carried with her, she withdrew a folded magazine and held onto it.

Eyeing the young woman suspiciously, the blond questioned, "Prepare for what?"

"Your present," she answered. "I figure he needs to sulk and brood for at least an hour before actually going through with it."

"Why would he need to do that?" Seifer followed up in questioned, his tone far less harsh now that he was on the brink of knowing what Squall had in mind.

Selphie's smile widened, unable to keep the toothy grin from her face. Holding the magazine out she offered it to the blond. "Check out page sixteen," she said, forcing herself not laugh at the mere prospect of Seifer's shock.

Seifer's eyes widened upon seeing the cover of the magazine. In proud bold letters was the title **_Sex Drive_**.

Clearing his throat Seifer found his hands wouldn't quite move. "Sex Drive?" he read in question.

"I borrowed it from Irvine, to give Squall some ideas. He was ready to kill himself, but with a little support, it all turned out okay."

Swallowing thickly, Seifer felt his pulse race. It was like some huge mystery was about to be uncovered. "What did he have in mind?" he asked, wanting to know his kitten's train of thought before finding out what those thoughts had lead to.

"Well," Selphie lilted merrily, ready to leap circles around the blond. "Squall just wanted to know how he might go about obtaining a vibrator, though I think he wanted that to be a practical joke."

Seifer felt a flush run up his neck. He felt terribly hot despite the cold air. Hurriedly, he tore a glove off with his teeth and fumbled to flip to the right page. Along the way, various pictures and items caused his heart to race in excitement. The thought of Squall perusing such a magazine to look for something was enough to cause his cock to twitch even in such a public place.

Green eyes darted to the bottom of the pages, checking the numbers. First he wasn't far enough, and then he passed it. It felt like an eternity before he managed to open to the correct page.

Seifer's mouth fell open. Incredulously, he stared for several long moments. Finally, when his brain seemed to start working again, he shut his mouth and clenched his jaw.

Tossing the magazine back at Tilmitt, the blond stood straighter and glare. "Tilmitt, I don't take kindly to people who bullshit me. You wanna drag me all the way out here and tell me Squall's going to dress up in that for me, then you'd better pray to Hyne such a thing actually happens."

"I'm serious," Selphie defended indignantly. "The only time I ever lied was when you asked if I knew anything about Squall doing something for you. I couldn't ruin the surprise so soon, even though I figured that if I didn't say anything a little bit ahead of time, you'd have a heart attack when you saw him."

"You're not lying?" Seifer asked with a menacing undertone that dared her to lie to him and find out the consequences.

"If it weren't your birthday, I'd punch you," Selphie declared while stuffing the magazine back in her bag. "Of course I'm serious, and you better not ruin this… Squall went to a lot of trouble just to ask me for help. He goes beat red whenever I wink at him or mention it."

Seifer didn't say anything else. Taking off, he ran towards town. He intended to head back to Garden. He should have demanded to know what it was all about before they'd even left Garden, then he'd be no more than five minutes from his destination.

If Squall-boy were going to dress up in some sexy maid's outfit, then the Commander wouldn't be any place but their apartment.

He tried to force himself to think clean thoughts, knowing his long run didn't need to have the added punishment of sport an erection.

* * *

Squall hadn't understood true mortification until he actually saw himself wearing the damn costume. He had to keep his eyes closed for the entirety of donning the intricate articles, lest he suddenly change his mind.

Was he absolutely insane?

In the bathroom, he stood before the mirror with flaming cheeks and a nauseous feeling of anxiety churning in the pit of his stomach.

The idea of shredding the garment with Lionheart came to mind. An instantaneous hatred developed for it the moment Selphie had given it to him.

He was perhaps more upset with his predicament for the fact that he didn't appear to be the butt of some practical joke. It made him look even more feminine and seemed to scream kinky sex instead of hazing prank. He'd never cared about his appearance before, but at least with pants and a t-shirt, he stood some chance of having an air of intimidation about him.

Now, he stood wearing a damn dress. The black and white maid's outfit fit his torso snuggly, lacing up each side so the ends closed nicely. The a-cup size of the chest left little excess material, which he absolutely refused to stuff upon Selphie's suggestion.

From the stiff torso, ridiculously puffy sleeves draped over his arms. The worst part was the skirt. It was puffy and it was lacey, and it made Squall want to kill something.

The damn thing barely came down to his knees, and that was if he flattened it down. The stockings were thrown in the garbage immediately, along with the high heals Selphie had bought to match it all. However, after some hair tugging and nail biting, he slid the fishnets into place and hooked them on the garter that threatened to show if he made any sudden movements. The shoes remained in the garbage. No amount of hair pulling was enough to make him wear them.

An odd sort of necklace threw him off guard until he glanced at the small dressing guide and realized it was some sort of hat or bonnet.

If Seifer wanted kinky, then this was the kinkiest he'd ever get. There was no going past wearing a freaking French maid's outfit for the blond. If the world's safety depended upon him wearing this dress again, then they were all doomed.

Stalking from the bathroom, unable to look at himself any longer, he paced around. It only took a few steps in his new outfit to cause great discomfort. For the sake of not sliding on the wooden floor and to feel just a little less like a cross dresser, he put his boots on. The bulky and heavy feel of his mercenary boots served as a slight reassurance while he continued to pace restlessly.

Checking the lock on the apartment door each time he approached it, he habitually glanced at the clock and prayed he had more time before Seifer showed up.

After fifteen minutes of pacing with nerves that wouldn't settle, Squall forced himself to sit down. The constant ruffling of the costume probably didn't help calm him down.

A brown paper bag sat forgotten on the couch cushion. On the floor was the bag that had contained his latest outfit. Reaching out, he picked the bag up hesitantly.

Opening it, the crinkling paper seeming to echo as if he were doing something wrong, he peered inside. Another wave of embarrassment washed over him as he stared at the tanned colored sex toy. Shaped in the likeness of a man's erect penis, it was the vibrator he'd originally intended to get.

Selphie had said there was a little something extra, but he'd been a little too preoccupied to remember.

Unable to suppress a rising curiosity, embarrassed but also intrigued, he pulled the toy out of the bag. Studying it as if he didn't know what a man's penis looked like, he turned it over in his hands while feeling the odd texture.

It was cold, nothing like an actual body part. It was also just a molding, the minor details falling short of what his mind automatically compared to Seifer's engorged length.

The base was flat, a couple inches not shaped organically or meant to be a part of the imitation. Turning it about, his eyes pieced together the function of it, never quiet daring to turn the switch on.

As if by accident, his thumb slid the small camouflage button into place, turning the dildo on. As soon as it began to vibrate and worm about as if suddenly alive, he dropped it.

The toy fell into his lap, the vibrations felt against his thighs even through the thick layers of his skirt.

Before he could make up his mind to turn it off and throw it away, he felt a familiar heat in his groin that only ever came about when Seifer touched him.

It was a slow process, Squall's embarrassed reluctance constantly causing him to stop and berate his foolish idiocy. However, curiosity and an undeniable arousal pushed him along.

It wasn't long until he was gently pressing the tip of the vibrator against his lubed and stretched anus.

The toy was turned off, since he felt skittish enough simply looking at it wriggle about. He felt like he was in the middle of doing something he shouldn't, as if the consequences of being seen were so severe and dire that it wasn't worth it. He was certain the door was locked, and only one other person knew the code, yet his eyes kept glancing to the bedroom door as if he'd be able to tell if someone approached.

Legs spread, he gently pressed the device inside himself. Despite the fact that it was relatively cold in comparison to what he was used to, he couldn't deny that he was excited. His penis was becoming steadily harder, blood rushing to his groin the moment he'd begun to finger himself in preparation.

In his lifetime, he'd masturbated a total of two times. Like most male teens, his hormones dictated his actions. Even though he'd tried to ignore his body's wants, there were those couple times that it had been painful and he'd been unable to simply wait it out.

Now he sat against the head of his bed, fresh sheets having just been placed down, wearing woman's clothing as he pushed the head of a fake penis into his ass. If he didn't love Seifer so much, he'd curse the blond for the obvious influence.

Similar to his first time having sex, it was a matter of patience and reminding himself that people wouldn't do it if it didn't feel good at some point. When he'd fit the toy in as far as he could without losing a solid grip on the base, he was almost too wary to turn it on. It was like sticking his hand in a box that contained some secret object, but he wouldn't know what that object was until his hand grabbed it.

Deciding to not activate the toy so soon, he carefully rocked it in and out of himself. It felt good. Not as good as if Seifer were buried inside of him, but it was still good.

Pulling his currently bare legs in more, he planted his heals as close to his body as possible, trying to gain easier access to continue pumping the toy in and out. As his mind began to drift and wallow in the pleasure, he felt his anxiety wane and his nervousness dissipate.

Just like when he'd first turned the device on, his thumb brushed across the base and gave him a surprise.

His shock was quickly overpowered by pleasure. Arching back, his body moved without consulting his brain. Pushing the vibrator as deep as he could, his hips bucked in coordination with his hand to plunge the worming toy in and out.

It wasn't periodic stimulation to his prostate, but rather constant. The sensitive nerve endings felt the vibrations during the moments that the device wasn't rubbing against his inner walls just right.

Mouth parting in a pant, Squall felt as if he had no control. He couldn't stop. It felt too good. His head tossed back and his eyes scrunched shut. He bit his lip despite his need to breathe through his mouth. Soft moans were escaping against his will, simpers of pleasure joining as he increased the pace.

* * *

Running was hardly strenuous for Seifer, though wearing the proper attire and not running through the cold might have made it easier.

From the town of Balamb to Balamb Garden, it was an uphill trek of four miles. It was suddenly clear why Tilmitt had insisted they walk. She'd bought all the time anyone would need to dress up.

Once inside Garden, he made a beeline for the apartment.

Sweaty and disheveled, he punched the code in before stalking inside. Tearing his coat off, he dropped it to he ground. Before he could ransack the apartment in search of Squall, the voice of his aroused minx drifted to his ears.

Mastering himself, he attempted to keep his heavy breathing quiet. Taking off his shoes, he knowingly began to take the rest off. His impatience brought him outside Squall's bedroom door before he could take more than his sweater off, an undershirt making him seem fully dressed.

For several moments, he stood and listened. The sound of Squall in the middle of having sex was unmistakable. The sudden thought of someone else in there sent him barging into the room.

His anger forgotten, Seifer stared in shock.

Mouth open, he gaped at the brunet, praying that he didn't wake up before he got to screw the boy raw.

Stilling his ministrations, Squall stared with clouded blue eyes. The continuing movement of the toy kept him from ceasing all together, forcing him to continue as he felt close to orgasm.

Seifer stepped closer, his eyes traveling up and down Squall repeatedly. He'd seen the picture of the outfit, but could only imagine what it'd look like on the Commander.

It was the most erotic thing he'd ever seen. The fact that his kitten was masturbating with a dildo caused his pants to tent and his cock twitch to life so quickly that he felt certain he'd just broken some record.

Stripping as if his clothes were on fire, Seifer silently promised to enjoy the outfit later. Roughly grabbing Squall's hand, he stopped the brunet's actions. Uncaring that the pale beauty was obviously enjoying the little vibrator, he took it out and cast it aside.

Finding a discarded bottle of massage oil, he coated his length. Gripping behind Squall's knees, he hitched the brunet's legs higher before guiding himself to the boy's weeping entrance.

In one fell plunge, he buried himself inside that tight hole, the searing heat bringing him that much closer to heaven.

"Fucking Hyne," he hissed, repeating streams of cursing in lieu of the words that he couldn't put together to form his gratitude and absolute love of the sexy body he was inside of.

Squall arched at the penetration of the real thing. This was what he wanted, what he imagined happening.

Unable to contain himself, Seifer thrust into the brunet without restraint. Given that Squall moaned and bucked against him, he'd say the brunet had been stretched well enough by the toy, allowing for his thick cock to squeeze in without the usual amount of pain.

"Seifer," Squall called out in a pant, his end close at hand before the knight had even arrived. "Harder," he cried, wanting the knight to follow him quickly.

Pounding into the younger man mercilessly, Seifer couldn't even begin to describe how perfect it felt.

Squall was beyond words, unable to state that he was coming. Crying out in release, he came hard, his cum spurting onto the volume building ruffles of the skirt.

Seifer wasn't too far behind, thrusting several more times before clenching walls gripped his throbbing penis and forced him to ejaculate with pleasure. Filling the brunet, he continued to thrust until he was spent, giving himself the extra pleasure of remaining buried deep inside Squall even after he'd just filled that tight channel with his seed.

Collapsing onto the Commander, Seifer panted heavily, unable to register the foreign feel of the costume that kept soft and warm skin from his touch.

After several minutes, the blond leaned back, his softened penis still inside. Staring down at the taxed brunet, he gazed at the puffy sleeves and crooked maid's hat. Groaning, he began to thrust again, finding that Squall was so arousing he was ready to go again.

As Seifer rocked in and out, stirring his flaccid length to life once more, Squall groaned and also felt returning arousal.

In a repeat of what happened minutes before, Seifer thrust ceaselessly until they were both sweating and panting and moaning with pleasure.

Collapsing once more, Seifer felt his limbs grow heavy from the run and marathon sex. Pulling out of Squall's tight hole, his cum seeping out, he forced himself to settle down.

"After we take a shower, you can put that outfit back on… I'm not done with you yet," the blond hummed in delight, knowing full well that this entire day was dedicated to fulfilling every sex driven thought in his head.

TBC…

A/N Okay, I know it's not finished, but I wanted to post and if I continue, it'll be another day. So, I called this a two parter. Anyway, I hope you've enjoyed it so far. It was certainly an odd event to write, but it's been fun.


	28. Chapter 28

Chapter Twenty-Eight

Seifer's Birthday Part II

Slowly, Seifer undressed Squall. He memorized what the maid's outfit looked like, all too excited to put it back on in a short while.

"I know how to dress myself," Squall said as the blond began to unlace one of the sides.

"I know," Seifer assured in a husky whisper. "Just let me have fun with this."

Grumbling incoherently, Squall relented and stood still, moving only when Seifer needed him to. When the odd costume was off of him, various layers of ridiculous frills lying on the ground, he reminded, "I'm burning it tomorrow."

Seifer was slightly too enthused to care. "Anything you want Princess," he stated with a kiss to the smaller man's temple.

Now that they were both naked, the tall blond ran the water. Seifer followed Squall in, coming up behind the brunet and wrapping his arms around the younger man.

"I won't enjoy it unless you do," the ex-knight stated firmly. "Though, I'd say you were enjoying the vibrator quite a bit."

Squall felt his cheeks heat up in a blush, remembering the state Seifer had found him in. The knight would never let it go. He'd be teased for it for the rest of his life.

"It was hot," Seifer continued. His hands began to run up and down the Commander's lithe torso, feeling the firm muscle of toned abs. The water ran down the brunet's front, wetting mussed strands and forcing Squall to close those pretty eyes and feel his hands. "I can show you many more pleasures if you'll let me."

"I was curious, that's all," Squall defended. "I'm not into whips and chains like that, don't press it."

Seifer chuckled. "No whips or chains Princess, just me and you and a few instruments that'll make you scream my name at the top of your lungs."

"Stop calling me Princess," the brunet bit out, hating that name almost as much as Puberty Boy and Squally-boy. After a brief reflective moment, where he forced himself to not find Seifer's words enticing, he added, "I did this for your birthday."

Seifer just chuckled, knowing he could get away with calling Squall anything that day. "I know and I am beyond grateful. It's the best present you could have gotten me," he stated soundly. "Just think about how good it felt to play with that toy, remember how it felt." Seifer gently rubbed his growing erection against Squall's lower back, his lips pressing against the brunet's ear as he spoke. "Were you thinking of me when you were doing it?"

Squall didn't reply, finding it was hard enough to block the memory of the small thrill and heavy atmosphere when he'd first had the inkling to use the little gadget. With Seifer rubbing against him, he found it impossible not to recall the foreign feel of the device moving around inside of him.

"Did you imagine it was my cock inside you?" the blond whispered, his tongue darting out to lave Squall's ear.

"Yes," Squall finally answered in a hiss. He rocked back against the ex-knight, feeling the hardened length that he wanted to have buried deep inside of himself.

Seifer smiled. He was elated to know he was on Squall's mind during masturbation. "I want you to do it again, but let me watch this time."

"Here? Now?" the brunet questioned.

"No, when we're finished and I've put that slutty little outfit back on you."

"It's a demeaning piece of shit that I wouldn't be caught dead in if I didn't want you good and horny for myself," Squall said in defense of his actions.

"Oh, don't lie to me now kitten," Seifer chastised, following his words with a nip to Squall's ear. "You know how turned on I get even by your angry glares. No sexy get ups are needed to make me hard."

Unable to refute the blond's surprisingly sound logic, Squall asked, "It's not a gender thing is it?"

"What do you mean?" the blond questioned as he let his right hand trail down to fondle the Commander's penis.

Biting his lip, Squall shivered and relaxed against Seifer's chest while the ex-knight began to stroke him. When he felt stable enough to form words, he explained a certain concern that had formed in the back of his head despite assurances since they'd first began their relationship. "Are you turned on because I look more like a woman when I where it?"

Stiffening for a moment, Seifer almost laughed at the brunet for such an insecurity. However, when his mind analyzed everything that had happened, he realized it wasn't such a ridiculous question. "No," he said firmly. "Hyne, I like you as a guy."

"But, if I weren't a man, what then?"

"Then we wouldn't be here, and such thoughts are depressing."

"Then why is it a sexy thing to you?" Squall questioned in a curious manner, still not entirely assured that it wasn't about gender.

Seifer released the wet body in his arms. Turning Squall around slowly, he gently gripped pale shoulders, massaging tense muscles. "Squall, it's the principle of you dressing up. It's kinky and hot. Plus, you were in the middle of screwing yourself with a dildo, what did you think I'd do?"

Squall stared up, water cascading down his back, his hair dripping with water that darkened it and caused it to fall down his neck. He wasn't sure how to respond. It was a redundant point to make over and over again, to push the blond into reassuring him for any reason.

"I'm not pushing it any further," the blond said seriously. "If you're not going to enjoy this, then forget it."

"No," Squall asserted quickly. "If we're together, it's fine." That was the truth of the matter. If everything was stripped away, costumes and birthdays, then it came down to just the two of them spending the remainder of the day pleasuring each other. There could never be anything wrong with that. His nerves had gotten to him, his previous anxiety making him sensitive to the situation.

"Okay then," Seifer replied with an impish grin. Stepping forward, he walked Squall backwards, further under the shower's spray until he was the one the water hit. Dipping down, he captured the brunet's lips and kissed the man as sensually and softly as he knew how.

It wasn't until the Commander's mouth was part for more, warm water dripping down between them, that Seifer took it to a level beyond sensual, making it passionate and needy.

The blond needed to delve deeper. He needed to taste Squall and entangle his tongue with younger man in order to release some of his desires. He needed Squall, his little lion, who he'd always needed but never understood in what way until recently.

Pressing the Commander's lithe body against the tiled wall, he impressed the fact that for the night he had total control, so long as he didn't piss the brunet off and wind up with a black eye. With his hand gripping a narrow jaw, he plundered that sweet mouth until he was forced to back off for the sake of oxygen.

Seifer held the weak kneed body in place. The usually composed Commander gasped for air as a slick trail of saliva slid down his chin, almost indistinguishable from the water.

Eyes closed, Squall relished the cool feel of the wall behind him. His body's temperature felt high, every place Seifer touched him tingled with heat.

Seifer feverishly trailed kissed down a pale neck, sucking hard to mark it up. He raked his teeth across the vulnerable flesh and enflamed each spot that he caused to turn red. Previously, he'd been too consumed to do anything but rut like some animal with his lovely partner. Now, he hungrily worked on what he'd forgotten before.

Seifer's fingers brushed over hardened nipples. Worrying the nubs, he continued until a stifled noise sounded from the brunet. Leaning down, he used his tongue to swirl around a pinkish bud before teasing it between his teeth.

Squall gasped. A moan followed that was not stifled by his tightly shut mouth.

With a free hand, Seifer reached down and stroked the brunet's length once again.

"Seifer," the brunet called as he rocked into the knight's hand.

Answering the younger man's call, Seifer broke away from an abused nipple and once again kissed plush lips. Releasing the brunet's organ, he began the torturously slow paced foreplay that he knew his partner was impatient about, but that made the boy cry out loudest of all.

It was a long shower that held countless kisses and hands that never ceased to grope naked flesh. However, neither man received the release that they were both quite ready for. Wet and slippery, the soapy suds washed off their bodies with the aid of both water and touching hands. Seifer refused to lose himself and take Squall just yet, intent on drawing it out until they were both begging for it.

Cleaned and aroused, Seifer continued to dote upon the brunet for his own means. Drying himself off hastily, he set about drying Squall's body in a more paced manner, having to swat the younger man's hands away occasionally.

"Are you finished?" Squall questioned. He was standing there with an erection while Seifer toweled him off. It wasn't exactly his idea of foreplay.

"Not yet. I can't show my appreciation unless I dress you back up, and I'd be remiss if I didn't show you my gratitude."

Falling silent and truly complacent for the first time, Squall allowed the blond knight to direct him to the dark marble countertop around the sink. The entire costume could be slipped into as a single piece, but Seifer delayed the process by taking apart each layer of slips that created the volume of the lower half. Little by little, he dressed Squall.

The upper bodice was Seifer's favorite. The sides drew together as if made for Squall's body. His fingers were nimble with the crossing laces that ran up the sides, but only at first. Before he could finish tying off one side, his fingers brushed pale skin and a soft exhale escaped reddened lips. He found that his fingers grew steadily clumsy at each small reaction he detected.

Green eyes darted to meet swirling blue, only specs of grey present beneath such evident lust. His hand cupped a pale cheek, his calloused thumb running across soft skin. Unable to stop himself, the blond knight leaned in to thoroughly kiss the younger man.

Seifer wasn't able to force himself away until he realized he was rocking against the Commander and nearing orgasm. Reluctantly pulling back, he took a few deep breaths to steel his resolve and finish his task.

Their eyes kept meeting, the mutual want almost palpable. It was a very slow progression, but eventually Squall was wearing the maid's outfit once again.

"Is that everything?" the blond questioned, his eyes searching around for the little hat he'd seen earlier.

"No," Squall answered honestly. "There are a couple things in the bedroom."

"Right," Seifer sounded in agreement. "Wait here."

Wearing naught but a white towel around his waist, the blond left for a moment. The apartment outside of the brightly lit bathroom was dim, all the lights off. It was approaching two o'clock, so far as Squall could tell anyway.

Time blurred in the Commander's mind. He had no sense of how long they'd had sex for in his room or how long the shower had taken. It felt like at least an hour, mainly for the shower, but he couldn't be certain.

Despite the tenting bulge outlined by the towel, Seifer's steps held a certain spring as he returned. "Somehow, I missed these," he said with a broad grin as he held up the undergarments that Squall had taken off before the ex-knight's arrival.

Seifer's towel threatened to fall as his cock twitched at the sight of Squall waiting for him. Sitting atop the counter. Wet hair reached a thoroughly marked up neck and kiss bruised lips looked sinfully delicious, ready to be wrapped around his throbbing length or worried between his teeth. There was also the important factor of what the brunet was wearing and how much it turned him on. The dark black lace of it all made the younger man look even paler. The bodice was tight and stiff, outlining the slender torso perfectly. And the white fabric of the sleeves and neckline seemed to make a display for the hickeys he'd made.

Swallowing thickly, Seifer approached. Wanting to see what the lingerie looked like on the sultry lion, he moved the thick skirt out of the way and requested that Squall hold it up. Pulling slim hips to the edge, he slid the black garment on.

Needing to see it better, he directed Squall to stand up while holding the bottom of the dress up. His eyes glazed with lust as he viewed Squall wearing what he could only compare to a Speedo that was perhaps a size too small to cover that shapely ass enough to be deemed appropriate for public. It hugged Squall perfectly, except for the fact that it wasn't designed to give room for an erect penis. But, that only served to make it better, the sight of his kitten's arousal poking out of the top.

Next came the garter and each stocking. Seifer teased the Commander by licking at the head of the exposed penis, causing the brunet to whimper with need. Drawing away, he sat on the edge of the toilet and simply watched.

"You have the sexiest ass," Seifer breathed out. He was unable to keep a hand from reaching beneath the towel at his waist. As the temporary garment fell away, he began to stroke his hard cock.

"Seifer, I want you inside of me," Squall stated, finding that prolonging everything made his need for release grow to the point of being unbearable. He remained rooted, his back to the ex-knight while he held the dress up high.

"Patience Princess," the blond assured, hypocritically stroking himself.

Taking Seifer's words like a challenge, Squall strove to remain complacent without complaint. He had patience, more than Seifer did anyway.

With a quick glance backwards, Squall couldn't help but feel as though it weren't fair, but he refused to show it. It wasn't until the resounding groan filled the air that he broke down.

Dropping to his knees, Squall offered himself to the knight, hoping that the groan he'd heard was the blond nearing orgasm. If Seifer were that close, then the older boy might just take him like before, hard and rough right through to the end.

"Don't tempt me kitten, or you'll regret it," Seifer hissed. Standing up despite his knowledge that less distance between them would wear his waning resolve down, he stepped closer.

"I don't regret my actions Almasy. Fuck me now, we have all night for your little games."

Groaning softly at the icy tone that only came from when they'd been nothing but rivals, Seifer stalked closer and roughly tore at the undergarment he'd spent so much time staring at. Even though they had recently had sex and that tight hole had been stretched, a handful of lube would have been nice. However, Seifer sank into Squall's body without further procrastination, nothing to ease the joining.

Pushing himself deeper, the knight questioned, "Regret it now?"

Squall gave off a terse chuckle, his jaw clenched at the pain. However, he'd been thoroughly screwed not that long ago, making it far less painful than the blond must have thought. "Not even close," he returned, pushing back to bury Seifer the rest of the way.

Seifer gave a few hard thrusts, as if instilling his point. However, at the returned moans, it became quite apparent that this was exactly what Squall had wanted. The Commander could be a sly devil at times. He wondered just how much control he had in their relationship. At times like this when he'd previously thought he'd held the brunet in the palm of his hand for the night, it turned around on him with little more than an offered ass to plunder.

Pulling out completely, the blond groaned in regret, even if it was only a momentary loss of surrounding heat. "Stand up," he ordered, attempting to take back some control.

Eyes closed, Squall forced himself to comply. Hands on the tiled floor, he pushed up and clambered to his feet, disliking the stockings and wishing for his boots once more.

"Bend over the sink," the blond directed further.

Squall listened, stepping towards the black marble counter and placing his hands on it as it complying for a body search. Glancing up into the mirror, he locked eyes with the ex-knight. "Like this?" he questioned brashly, knowing what was about to come next.

"Exactly," Seifer admonished with a husky lilt. Stepping up behind the shorter man, he wrapped an arm around a slim waist and pulled the Commander back to stand straight.

Their eyes remained locked through the mirror.

With his other hand, Seifer directed pretty blue eyes to the kiss marks along a pale neck. "See these?" the knight questioned with an arrogant smirk. "They mean that you're mine." Rocking against the brunet from behind, he watched the defiant expression change to one of utter pleasure.

The blond glanced downward as Squall's legs shifted to part for him. A thought occurred to him. "Were there shoes?" he questioned.

Though unprepared for such a question, Squall remained impassive. "I wore boots," he said truthfully, drawing the line at the high heals he'd tossed in the kitchen's garbage.

"They give you a couple inches in height?" Seifer questioned further, recalling that he'd seen discarded boots in the bedroom but not thinking much of it until now.

"An inch maybe," Squall replied perplexed.

"Don't move," Seifer said before stalking away naked. His intent was to raise that sweet ass a little higher, making the position he intended to fuck Squall in all the better. The less work involved meant the more enjoyable it could be. Sadly, he doubted either of them would last long anyway.

Squall hung his head in exasperation. Whatever happened to the times when they just fucked each other senseless and then fell asleep?

Returning seconds later, Seifer set the boots down with a clunk. It was certainly an odd mix, but he had a feeling Squall made it look sexy. Once the boots were on, he loosened the laces, and spread the top parts that were supposed to hug the Commander's lower calf.

"Why…" Squall trailed off his question, forgoing his curious inquiry for the sake of being screwed sooner.

"I'm creating an image, don't rush me," Seifer chastised. Stepping back he eyed his handy work. It almost made Squall look adorably cute, but as the brunet impatiently leaned over the sink once more he realized there was nothing adorable about it.

Stepping up once again, the blond knight made quick word of raising the frilly skirts and tugging down the lacy panties that had slipped back into place.

Squall leaned over more, readying himself for the hard thrust he anticipated. Biting his lip, he willed himself not to come quickly, fearing that one good strike would send him over the edge.

Licking his lips, Seifer positioned himself at Squall's entrance. Looking up, he stared into the mirror and gazed at the brunet's pretty face. There was an expectancy in the way that pout bottom lip was being bit.

Rubbing the head of his length up and down the exposed cleft, he watched as that lip was released and a soft pant escaped now parted lips. It was then that dazed blue irises glanced up and saw his knowing smirk.

"Seifer," Squall said imploringly. "Please."

"Of course love," the blond answered. Ceasing his torturous nudging, he directed the head of his penis to the entrance once more. As his hands gripped Squall's hips, he gave a small squeeze in warning.

Squall exhaled, relaxing his muscles for the sake of accepting the engorged cock with little pain and much pleasure. All at once, the knight thrust into him. He very nearly came from it, but managed to breathe in quick succession to draw back from orgasm.

"Fuck, I'm not lasting long," Seifer bit out. He couldn't be certain if he'd still end up coming without moving or if pulling out would send him over the edge.

"Move," Squall urged, no longer caring how long either of them lasted, just that he found release.

Pulling out, Seifer pushed back in. It was overwhelming pleasure that shuddered through him. He was the luckiest son of bitch alive. At twenty years old, things didn't get much better than they were right then.

Slamming into the brunet repeatedly, Seifer met his end earlier than he'd planned, but it was no less satisfying. As he continued, his cock jerking as his release filled the younger man, he watched the expression Squall made while crying out his name as ecstasy came for them both.

Collapsing against the counter, Squall awkwardly rested with one arm dipping into the dry basin.

Seifer couldn't be blamed for his libido. The night was young and an on the clock deal, so it was only proper that he live every moment to the fullest. Rolling his hips, he carried on until he felt himself growing harder.

Craning his head up, Squall glanced at the knight behind him. "You really do plan to go all night," he murmured with a small smile.

"Think you can keep up?" Seifer questioned.

Raking a hand through damp locks, Squall straightened up again and resumed his position. "I've always had more stamina," he retorted, rocking back against the blond as one hand slid down to touch himself. Having come twice already, he was sufficiently ready for bed, but he could never back down when the gauntlet was thrown.

TBC…

A/N Hehehe, sorry, I couldn't very well just write about them screwing for like six hours straight… I'll just show what happens the morning after. Anyway, I think this is the first time their rivalry has manifested in sex. I figured they don't get to spar enough, so they needed some outlet. What better outlet than a night of marathon-kinky-toy-costume-birthday-sex. Okay, so the next chapter sets it's roots back to reality, where Squall has to meet with Xu and inform Seifer about a few things.


	29. Chapter 29

Chapter Twenty-Nine

The Proposition

It was daytime, so far as Seifer could tell anyway. Eyes closed, he opted to lay in just a little longer. As he shifted, the firm weight of Squall against his chest, he tightened his arms around the warm body beside him.

Last night was still unbelievable to him. He had a feeling that he'd have to consent to the costumes destruction. It would need to be dry cleaned after the run they'd put it through, and if another marathon ensued, he'd quite possibly die. He didn't think it was possible to come so many times in a week, let alone a single night.

It would be a rough run for him to pick up a couple potions, which he'd have to do before Squall woke up. If the tenderness of his groin was any indication, he'd say Squally-boy's tight little ass would be inoperable for even sitting. The sore aftermath and the remnants of the costume he spotted nearby on the floor were the only indications that he hadn't simply dreamt it all up.

Slowly, Seifer detached himself from the nude body beside him. The fact that his actions went undetected was testament to just how worn out Squall was.

Sitting up, sheet falling to his waist, Seifer arched his back and felt his muscles wake. His eyes roved the lithe form of his sleeping beauty, hungrily drinking in the sight of countless kiss marks. Curious in his study, he peeked beneath the sheet. He wasn't sure if he should have felt guilty about the slight bruising around slim hips, since Squall had constantly encouraged him to go harder.

Dropping the sheet, he forced his eyes away. The last thing he needed was another erection. His dick was sore, having plundered that sweet ass more times than he was able to keep track of.

With care not to wake Squall, he clambered out of bed and stumbled towards the shower. Despite his common sense, his mind knowing that he shouldn't let his thoughts drift until after he had a potion, images of the previous night wouldn't stop flashing every time he closed his eyes.

Before he had the water running, he was half hard again thinking about Squall's compliant masturbation. He'd watched in elation as the brunet had once again handled the wriggling vibrator. Naturally, the act was never completed since any sane man would be unable to not roughly chuck the device and replace the false penis with the real thing.

Last he recalled, Squall had ridden him to both their sating ends and collapsed against him. He couldn't exactly say that the brunet had fallen asleep first, since he'd woken up some time later after slipping under himself. After undressing the Commander, he'd grappled for the sheet and went to bed, unable to find the strength to wake Squall up and continue.

With tentative strokes, Seifer jerked himself off in the shower. It wasn't exactly satisfying, not when he wasn't shooting his release into the wet cavern of Squall's mouth or into the gripping heat of the boy's tight ass. It was more a functional action, too aroused from simply thinking of last night not to get an erection and too sore to just let it go until he obtained a couple of potions.

The blond had assumed they'd had a sufficient store of the healing liquid, but apparently they'd been more active than he thought.

With a few more memories of the dark laced princess spreading for him, he came with a stifled groan. After washing up, he quietly returned to his room, silently reprimanding himself each time he stared at the brunet's sleeping form.

As he left the apartment, he considered where he might be able to obtain what he needed quickest. It was eleven and Squall never slept past noon, though given the circumstances this day might prove an exception.

There weren't any shops closer than the town of Balamb. He'd have to track Raijin and Fujin down, and snag a couple from their stores.

Whistling as he strut through the corridors he felt a certain light hearted sense of happiness that could only have come from the events of last night. He'd hit the jackpot with Squall. His confident stride was more than just arrogance that morning. The spring in his step was unabashed love that would have made him giddy if he would ever allow himself to feel such a way.

In a very indirect sense, he owed Epson for the psychotic obsession with the Commander. If Epson hadn't been after Squall, then he'd never have been asked to return. And since he'd never intended to return on his own, it was his greatest stroke of luck. Maybe he should consider sending flowers to the bastard's grave or something.

Shaking his head, Seifer decided that his expression of gratitude had been to not draw the fucker's torturous death out for days.

Realizing that the easiest way to locate his posse was to call, he dug his phone out of his pants pocket. As he dialed Raijin's number, he made a mental note to nag Squall about keeping a cell phone near at all times, and to make sure the phone was actually turned on.

"It's me," the blond spoke as the other end picked up.

There was a brief pause before the burly fighter on the other end responded. "Seifer, long time no see ya know?"

"Yeah, I've been busy," Seifer returned. "Where are you right now?"

"I was just heading to town, I'm at the parking garage. You called just in time ya know? Wanna head out with me?"

"Got any potions on you?"

"Always."

Grinning at his good timing, he said, "I'll pass on the trip to town, but let me borrow a couple potions."

"Sure thing, but hurry. Fu's waiting at the harbor for me, and it's freezing ya know? She'll throw me in the water if I'm late."

"I'll be there in a couple minutes," the blond stated before flipping his phone shut and pocketing it.

* * *

Squall remained under the hot shower spray longer than necessary as he let the water wash over his lower back. He'd already hit his head against the wall upon realizing he had nothing on hand that would allow him to walk without wincing or stand straight.

The distant sound of his phone ringing brought him back to reality and forced him to hurry to answer it. He'd found it while searching for a potion. With the looming meeting with Xu hanging over his head, he turned it on in case she received his message or someone contacted him to say she'd arrived.

Barely managing to wrap a towel around his waist, he bit his lip in a grimace as he stumbled toward for the phone on the sink counter. Last night had been enjoyable at every most moment, but his inability to walk properly without shooting pain was more than a little troublesome.

"Leonhart," he answered a bit tersely, hunching over and leaning against the counter for support, not unlike the night before if the pain were replaced with pleasure.

"Squall, it's Quistis."

"Has Xu arrived?" he questioned.

"An hour ago, but I couldn't reach you and Selphie wouldn't let me come to your apartment. Is everything alright?" the new Headmistress asked with concern.

"Everything's fine. I'll be there shortly," the Commander replied.

"Okay," Quistis agreed uncertainly.

Ending the call, Squall didn't bother closing the phone before dropping it right into the sink. Gritting his teeth, he considered taking another shower, but opted that his slow progression of getting dressed needed to be started as soon as possible.

After managing to slip into a pair of boot cut jeans, grateful for the loose fit, he decided it might be a smart idea to call Seifer. While he sorely regretted the day he called the blond knight to come to his aid, he was less adamant in his steely resolve of self-reliance when his ass felt raw and his lower back radiated pain with each tentative step. It actually wasn't until he considered popping some migraine medicine that he realized he'd sunk low enough to call on Seifer for help.

Slipping into a navy blue t-shirt and managing to slip into a pair of socks and his boots, he almost considered lying back down to wait. However, that notion was fleeting when he reminded himself he needed to meet Xu.

Coming out of his room with a bundle of sheets, intending to use the shoot in the bathroom while he grabbed his cell phone to call Seifer, he spotted the blond knight just as the older man came in.

"Your pretty little ass should be in bed," Seifer reprimanded sternly.

"I've got a meeting," Squall stated impassively, suddenly far more resolute in walking properly and not showing his pain from it.

"Yeah, and I've got a sore dick, which means you're probably two steps from falling down. Unless you've got a secret stash of potions I don't know about." Waving the slim vials of light blue liquid as if they were a tantalizing treat, his perceptive eyes didn't miss the subtle relief that softened the Commander's delicate features.

Stubbornly, Squall nodded, but proceeded past Seifer's room and toward the bathroom.

Grumbling, Seifer stalked forward to thwart Squall's efforts, knowing that the brunet wasn't enough of a neat freak to have to take care of the bedding right then. "Just drop it," he bit out.

Stopping, Squall regarded the knight with a sharp gaze that seemed to ask why he should drop anything.

Rolling his eyes, Seifer took the bundle from Squall and quickly stalked away to stuff it in the shoot. If only they had a delivery service for their laundry instead of stopping off every time they needed to.

In a sulking manner, Seifer returned to stand in front of the Commander. "I'd hoped to make it back before you woke up."

Casting his gaze to the floor, Squall chose not to explain how such a task would always remain unaccomplished. He found it was almost impossible to sleep without Seifer. Unless he was exhausted, he'd wake up in the time it took the blond to return from taking a leak in the middle of the night. However, he still defiantly insisted that he was merely a light sleeper.

"I couldn't sleep all day," Squall mumbled in excuse, as if he needed to defend the fact that he woke up.

Seifer frowned in disapproval. "I'll leave a note next time," the blond assured, realizing that the brunet hadn't had any way of knowing he'd return soon with relief. Sidling closer, he wrapped his arms around the smaller man and admitted, "I'd hoped we could have a little fun taking the potions."

"Xu's been waiting an hour already," Squall said, his voice muffled by the ex-knight's crisply pressed dress shirt. Even as a cadet, Seifer tended to dress to impress, or rather to draw more attention.

"I suppose there's nothing wrong with taking it the old fashioned way," the blond said with a sigh. He'd forgone taking his own potion when the idea of combining the external use of it with a blowjob popped in his head.

Relief came quickly for the Commander. He felt as though he should feel a bit upset about his lack of professional conflict at taking a potion for such a personal reason. He had prescription headache medicine because he was too stubborn to misuse potions and elixirs. Yet, here he was downing the tasteless liquid because he'd partaken in sex one too many times the previous day. Seifer had definitely influenced him.

As Squall handed his empty vial off to the blond's expectant hand, he had to remind himself that he should be hurrying. His fingertips tingled at the brief touch between them, and all he wanted to strip and pick up where they'd been too tired to continue last night.

Shrugging into his jacket, the Commander debated whether or not he should inform Seifer before he met with Xu. Having already made up his mind, his whole basis for not telling the blond was non-existent. However, there was always the chance that Xu would refuse the position, in which case he felt there was no one else suitable to take his place and would not resign.

Seifer slipped behind the brunet unnoticed. Grabbing him by the hips, which were no longer bruised, he pulled the lithe body back against his own. With one hand against a firmly toned stomach, he used his other hand to display the heels he'd found in the garbage.

Dangling them by the ankle straps so the tall heels clacked together, he asked, "When were you planning on wearing these?"

Squall simply stared at the shoes, which shouldn't have been in the category of footwear in the first place. High heels were not actual shoes, they were more like death traps. While he could proudly admit to not knowing what they felt like to wear, he could only imagine the impediment they created for balance and mobility.

Glaring at the shoes, Squall replied icily, "Never."

"Do you know what heels do to the legs?" the blond asked as he envisioned what his kitten would have looked like.

"No, and I don't care to," the brunet remarked. Making to pull away, he was kept in place by the knight's tightened grip. It stood as proof that if the blond so chose, a single arm was strong enough to keep him rooted. "They didn't come with it," Squall stated.

"Since when do you make excuses?" the blond questioned with a smirk. Truthfully, he was a tad upset about it. It wasn't so much that Squall hadn't worn them as it was that the brunet had lied to him again, however small the lie might have been. When he'd asked if there was more to be put on, Squall had said there were a few items in the bedroom.

"Since I don't want to be pushed into doing something I don't want to do," Squall bit out.

Seifer held back his remark. The younger man's words held sense. If he'd known about the shoes, he'd probably have badgered the man into wearing them, and that would have been crossing a line where Squall wouldn't have been having fun.

"Forget about it," the blond dismissed. He released his hold before he wound up with a broken arm or black eye.

"I'm meeting with Xu alone," Squall stated as he stepped away, not glancing back. "I don't know how long I'll be."

"I'll come with you. I can wait outside the office," Seifer suggested, not giving argument about waiting out of view since it sounded like Squall was refusing his presence nearby completely.

"Fine," the Commander conceded.

* * *

Arriving at the office, Squall was momentarily surprised to see Quistis sitting behind the desk. It was another week before break was over, but knowing the hardworking young woman, she'd taken up as much work as possible since the day he'd offered her the position. With his declining presence in the office, yet another influence of the blond knight, she'd no doubt taken up residence much like he used to.

With a knowing smile, Quistis stood from her place, effectively ending her conversation with Xu.

Xu Yashime, who had been the former Head Instructor at Balamb, was currently stationed in Trabia as an overseer of the reconstruction. Her background qualified her for many fields, whether in battle or something less physical.

Squall gave Xu a once over, noting that the only change in her appearance was her hair. Once with long raven strands that were always spun together in a tight bun, the older woman had a bobbed hair cut that framed her slightly rounded face.

"Commander Leonhart," Xu greeted with a salute. While she fully acknowledged Squall's rank and authority, she was not entirely forgetful of their past together. Falling out of stance she gave Quistis a smile and nod as her close friend past by to leave.

"Xu," Squall greeted in his own manner that never sounded warm but still managed to express a certain level of welcome.

Eyes focusing beyond the Commander, she stared for a moment. "Seifer Almasy, it has been a while," the raven-haired woman said with a curt nod.

"That's cold instructor Yashime. Where's my hug and kiss?" the blond lilted with an arrogant smirk as he stepped in along side Squall.

Gesturing in a manner that said she gave up, Xu sighed in exasperation. "You're still the same as ever I see."

"Not quite, but then again only my one true love could possibly understand just how much I've changed," he said in a half mocking tone. Slinging an arm around the Commander's shoulders, he pointedly showed whom he referred to by his love.

"Yes," Xu said, her dark brown eyes training on the Commander. "I had heard a little something about you two. I can't say I wasn't shocked, but it certainly explains a lot."

Frowning, Squall nearly asked what she meant, but decided he didn't need to hear anyone's opinion about him from years ago.

"Nothing to worry about Commander, just the psychiatrist in me seeing a few connections between you two." Offering a small smile, more from amusement as she watched the Commander's lips form a deeper frown, she waved a hand in dismissal. "Shall we get to it then?"

With a curt nod, Squall agreed. Pulling away from the blond's arm, he moved to take a seat across from the one person he considered a worthy candidate for taking his office.

Seifer glared at the retreating lion's back. Something was up. He knew he should have asked why Xu was there, but given that Squall seemed particularly touchy about it, he'd backed off. As he shut the doors behind himself, he couldn't help but sulk over the fact that he hadn't received his morning kiss.

"How are you?" Xu questioned in a relaxed tone. "I can't imagine how you're holding up so well after everything that's been going on."

Gray-blue eyes shot the sharp-featured woman a slight glare. "I don't need a psychiatrist," he assured as he sat down.

"Then how about some friendly chat and a psychiatrist's opinion?" the older woman offered. She'd been itching to analyze Squall Leonhart since the boy first came to Garden. She'd still been completing her courses, but even as a student it was obvious that Squall was a therapist's dream challenge.

"How about I ask if you'd like to become Commander of Balamb Garden?" the brunet replied bluntly. Each moment he hid this from Seifer the worse he felt. He couldn't stand to look the man in the eyes, and it was really starting to eat at him all at once.

Mouth open for a paused moment, Xu's quip fell dead. That's what she deserved for assuming the Commander's words were going to be an evasive remark or refusal for analysis. "I'm sorry, but you may have to say that once more for me," she managed to state.

Bristling under the sudden weight of their conversation, the short haired woman stood straight and seemed to conduct herself less openly. Her general manner of speaking with friends and acquaintances, regardless of subject matter or rank, was to take a few minutes to set the mood with light chitchat. It was an instinct ingrained in her since her courses in psychology. She'd learned to set her patients at ease before moving into the real focus of conversation. The strategy ultimately manifested itself with everyone she spoke with, but Squall wasn't going for it, and now she was at a loss in her shock.

Squall edged forward, suddenly realizing this was a pivotal moment in his life. The gravity of Xu's answer pressed down on him now that the moment was upon him. If she refused him, then he'd ask for her silence on the matter and forget that he'd ever considered resigning.

Taking a moment to gather the right words, Squall explained, "Trabia is rebuilt. Your services there are no longer needed there."

"Yes," Xu said in agreement, trying to take the young man's points in parts for the sake of not becoming confused. "I assumed you wanted me transferred there."

"No. I'm offering a transfer to Selphie and Irvine. I want you back here, and if you'll accept, I'd like you to take my place."

Laughing and scoffing at the same time, Xu expressed her disbelief. A nervous smile tugged her lips, an automatic reaction to her subdued intimidation. Given the enormity of what Squall was offering, she couldn't help but feel like the boy was putting her on. She'd given up hopes of that rank when Cid passed her over for a newbie cadet. She hadn't felt spiteful or bitter about it, but it was like a slap in the face given her lifetime of achievements and public aspirations to one day become Commander.

Squall seemed to read her eyes. "This isn't a joke. I've been considering resigning for some time now. I don't think there is anyone other than yourself that qualifies to fill the position."

Brows drawing together, Xu raised a hand to her mouth and stared in deep thought at the dark glossy wood of the desk.

"Please, consider it. Take however long you need to," the brunet added, hoping he didn't sound desperate.

Swallowing dryly, Xu raised her gaze and dropped her hand. Searching Squall's guarded eyes, she thought about what he was asking and what it meant to her. It was a forgotten dream that she'd contently tucked away to the back of her mind.

"Xu," Squall said in question, wondering if she'd be all right. She seemed suddenly pale and her eyes seemed to gloss over in deep thought.

"I'd love to," Xu murmured at length, barely registering that the world's savior had called her name.

"…" Squall didn't respond, not sure what to say.

Folding her hands in her lap and sitting perfectly straight, she stared resolutely at the younger man. "I accept your offer."

TBC…

A/N grins Goodness… so much change is about to some. I believe it's time for a new setting for this story. At least the last one took Squall to different places. Can anyone guess what I have in mind for Squall and Seifer to do after leaving Garden? Hehehe… while starting a fishing company would be quite amusing, I promise it's much more exciting.


	30. Chapter 30

Chapter Thirty

Easily Forgiven

"Before you go," Squall said as Xu began to stand up. "I'd appreciate it if you kept this to yourself."

It was a moment before Xu understood why. She'd just been talking with Quistis and there had been no mention or hinting at the job offer she'd just been given. "Of course, just like I've kept my work at Trabia low key."

With an agreeing nod, Squall affirmed her words. "Thank you. And, if you would like to be the first to tell her, I'm sure Selphie is somewhere in the quad."

"Wouldn't that spoil your surprise?" the dark haired woman questioned with a small frown.

"It's not really my surprise. Besides, I think you'd be better at giving the news, since you were there."

Standing up, Xu gave a light chuckle. "I see how it is. You're still the same old Squall, never one for the waterworks. If you're asking me to deal with her hysterics, then I'd be happy to take one for the team."

With a small smile, Squall nodded. "At least you're prepared."

As Xu walked across the room, she cast a final glance at the seated brunet. "I suggest you lock your door if you ever plan on getting everything in order by tomorrow. If I know Selphie, she's going to seek you out right away."

"Thank you," Squall said with an air of slight dismissal.

"No, thank you," Xu returned warmly. As she opened the door and left, she was unable to suppress a wide grin. She'd likely be smiling like that all day.

The moment Xu's form disappeared from sight, Seifer came striding through the doorway, as if he'd been waiting right outside the whole time.

"Care to tell me why she looks like you just proposed to her?" the blond questioned lightly, though a rather angry undertone expressed how he truly felt.

"Yes," Squall said honestly. While he would like to tell Seifer, and fully intended to, he had no idea how he should go about it.

"Well?" the ex-knight prompted impatiently.

Thinking for a hesitant moment, Squall wondered how he might go about it without causing the older boy to stalk off in an angry tirade like the last time he'd kept something secret.

"Squall, what is it?" Seifer questioned with growing concern, seeing the hesitancy in those bright eyes that were rarely ever at a loss for what to do.

Biting his lip for a thoughtful moment, Squall finally decided how he wanted to handle it. "Let's go for a walk," he suggested as he stood up.

"Fuck Leonhart, now I'm not sure I wanna know," Seifer said as he was filled with trepidation. When did Squall ever want to go for a walk? All he could think about was how distant his kitten had been acting that morning, and now they had to go for a walk in order to discuss something that had been kept secret once again. All of his instincts told him that it couldn't be good.

* * *

The sun was high in the sky between late morning and early afternoon. With short days, solar noon came early. Regardless of the sun being at its zenith, the warm rays were not strong enough to melt the snow, at least not at such a high elevation.

Against the biting cold, Seifer wore his long black trench coat and warm leather gloves. His stoic counter part simply refused any jacket or coat that wasn't made of worn dark brown leather with a fur collar.

As they past Garden's tall gates in silence, Seifer felt unease creep up. His only saving grace was the knowledge that it was Monday, the dreaded Sunday having gone off without a hitch. Well, more than just without a hitch. He was seriously considering making Sunday his favorite day of the week despite past occurrences.

Jade green eyes cast a studying gaze at the expressionless brunet beside him. For the several minutes they spent simply walking along the only roadway, he just watched.

The snow was at least two feet deep around the surrounding flats of grassy plateaus. On the winding road that meandered for an extra mile on what could have been a straight four miles downhill to the town of Balamb, the snow was packed down with tire treads. Brown slush piled up at the side and exhaust had turned clean white banks of snow to a dirty dinge of brown and black.

Walking slowly at the center of the road, confident that the scarce traffic would sound ahead of time, not to mention they stuck out like sore thumbs among all the white.

In a testing move, that would either bring him great satisfaction or the assurance that Squall was still the same old prude in public, Seifer tore his left glove off with his teeth. Pocketing the accessory, he reached out grasped Squall's hand.

When he received no initial protest, the blond removed Squall's glove as well, keeping the item for himself. As he twined their fingers together he continued to watch carefully for any reaction.

There was no protesting of any kind, but neither was there any other sort of emotion present in that calm face. Beautifully handsome features stared off in lost thought, and such an observation both angered and alarmed Seifer.

"I'm groping your ass next, so I suggest you show some sign that I'm here," the blond grumbled.

"Seifer," Squall spoke hesitantly, berating himself for the inability to just be blunt like usual, "That thing I couldn't tell you about before." He left it open, waiting for the tall knight to acknowledge what he made reference to.

"You mean that thing you and Kinneas were talking about oh-so intimately, that thing that pissed me off, that thing we argued about, and that thing I was graciously understanding about?" the blond stated in question, feeling annoyed that he was only now being informed after he'd been so understanding and patient.

Thinking for a moment, Squall regarded the tense expression on Seifer's face. "That's the one," he mumbled quietly.

"Yup, then I know what _thing_ you're talking about."

Sighing into the cold air, breath visible in a stream of puffy little clouds, Squall forced himself to just yank the damn band aide off. "I'm resigning. Xu is the new Commander," he said evenly. Despite having finally regained some dignity of character by just being blunt like he preferred, he didn't feel the least bit relieved.

The tightened grip on his hand was Squall's only indication that Seifer had heard him. Explaining further, Squall said, "I've been thinking about it for a while, but it was something I had to decide on my own, without anyone making suggestions either way."

"And you thought, what? You thought I'd force you one way or the other?" the blond bit out angrily, his grip tightening even more without thought.

Squall hid his wince at the crushing manner Seifer held his hand in. "I couldn't take the chance," he explained.

"What chance?" Seifer barked.

Frowning, Squall thought it was obvious. "The chance that you'd want to stay or leave," he said.

"And why the hell would that matter? Why would anyone's opinion matter? You've spent your whole life doing what you choose, acting the way you felt, and damning what everyone else thought of you. How the hell is this any different?"

"Because they're my friends, and despite appearances, what they think matters to me. What _you_ think matters to me, and I don't know if I would have done what I truly wanted if you said otherwise," Squall returned with a slight anger of his own.

"And Irvine?" Seifer questioned, coming to a stop and turning to stare down at the young man. "He knew, that's why he had you against the wall?"

"Yes," Squall admitted. "He suspected me after I made Quistis Headmistress."

"That fucking long?" the blond asked incredulously. "What else don't I know?"

"Seifer," Squall said defensively. "I told you before that you can't know everything about me. I won't keep secrets anymore, but I'm not going to tell you what I think and how feel about every damn thing."

"Why not!" the blond accused.

"…" In silence, Squall refused to elaborate on the many reasons why such constant vocalization of his every emotion would be annoying.

"Do you realize that I don't give a fuck about whether or not you're Commander? I never planned on becoming SeeD again, so what the hell do I care?" Releasing an abused hand from his grip, he forced Squall to turn and face him by gripping the smaller man's shoulders. Staring intently into guarded eyes he impressed his feelings on the matter. "I have nothing to do with Garden anymore. I'm here for you. If you wanted to leave, I wouldn't care about anything but what you wanted to do."

"I thought…" Squall began, but didn't finish as he realized he was obviously mistaken.

"You thought what?" Seifer prompted, angrily refusing to let anything go unsaid at the moment.

"After the way you spoke to Martine and Caraway, that it was some sort of personal vendetta that I remain Commander while dating you. Like you wanted to rub it in their faces?" It wasn't exactly a farfetched conclusion, given the blond's track record for flaunting just about everything there was to flaunt.

Staring intently, Seifer could hardly believe Squall's continued obliviousness. "I was defending you and our relationship, not you being Commander," he said at length in exasperation.

Bright grey-blue eyes blinked several times before complete understanding set in. Blushing mildly at his mistake, he muttered a quiet, "Oh."

Abruptly pulling Squall close, Seifer leaned down and kissed the younger man. The sudden spreading of heat was welcome for more than just the coldness that surrounded them. He was upset and angry, but entirely willing to forgive on one little condition.

Squall tried to remind himself of all the reasons why kissing out in the open was perfectly fine. Aside from no one being in sight, he also had no public image to be concerned with anymore. However, his instinct to not be so openly intimate seemed to be deeply ingrained, so he was hard pressed to accept the ex-knight's insistent tongue.

Seifer demanded entrance, his arms firmly holding his little lion close to his body. Grateful for the loose fit at the waist of blue jeans and the convenient lack of belts, Seifer slid his gloveless hand down the brunet's pants. He daringly groped Squall's buttocks, tightening his hold when the younger man stiffened and tried to pull away.

It wasn't until Squall was good and lost in the moment that Seifer ended the exchange, parting with reluctance. He nearly smiled and gave away his mischievous intent when the brunet seemed wholly unaware that his hand was still kneading that shapely ass.

"I'll forgive you," the blond whispered. "If we keep my birthday gift and if we buy that hot little cat costume I saw in the magazine."

More than a little dazed, Squall barely registered that Seifer was offering his forgiveness so easily. With a numb nod, he let his head droop against the ex-knight's broad chest, the trench coat keeping him from feeling the firm muscle as much as he'd liked. He took the time to catch his breath and gave a subtle arch into the hand down his pants. He let the whole issue of being outside go, under the pretense that no one was around to see.

Eyes widening in shock, Seifer felt like doing a small victory dance. The only problem was that he actually had to forgive Squall, which hadn't been something he'd expected. He'd actually put the suggestion out there as a joke, not daring to get his hopes up that Squall would agree without thinking it through first. But, the prospect of holding Squall to his word was enough to sooth his sore feelings about the matter of being kept in the dark.

"You can't go back on this you know, you just agreed," Seifer stated firmly.

"Go back?" Squall questioned, standing back and gazing with greater clarity up at the handsome knight.

"I'm especially serious about the cat costume. It had a tail," the knight stated soundly.

Frowning in confusion, Squall shook his head. "What are you talking about?"

Grinning impishly, Seifer stated, "I won't spend the next hour yelling at you, and as per our agreement, you'll keep that maid's costume and order the cat one."

Glaring, Squall pulled away. "I'll take the yelling," he bit out tersely, folding his arms expectantly, as if he'd stand there for the next hour while Seifer ranted.

"Too late, you agreed."

Narrowing his glare, Squall seemed to say, 'Nice try.'

"Oh hell, that ain't fair," the blond stated.

"…" Squall leaned to one side, unwilling to be moved on the matter.

"Fuck," the ex-knight cursed. "You can't get a man's hopes up like that. Fine, in place of that, we're going on a date in town, where everyone can see and where I can kiss and grope all I want."

Lips pressed together in a firm line, Squall scowled at the idea. "Why do you always want to put on a show?"

"Because I want to show you off," the blond answered easily. "Come on, before the afternoon's wasted."

Resigned to his fate, Squall figured anything was better than spending time with Seifer while green eyes held an unguarded expression of hurt. He'd honestly expected the knight to storm off and not speak to him for a week. The circumstance of his silence on the matter of his resignation had been intentional and after he'd already agreed to stop keeping secrets and never lie. Granted, he hadn't lied about it and when he agreed to not keep secrets, he'd admitted to keeping one. Somehow it was making less sense to Squall the more he analyzed it.

* * *

Seated across from one another in a small café that overlooked the harbor with its frigid waters, Squall and Seifer spent a solid hour eating a small lunch. As the brunet slowly consumed the daily special, vegetable soup, Seifer munched on his turkey sub between exchanged words.

Given that Squall wasn't much of a talker, unless it was imperative he speak, Seifer wound up doing most the chatting. He was almost giddy at the relaxed manner Squall sat in his company and the curious eyes of the locals that never left them. He found it suspicious that the café only became slightly crowded after their arrival, especially since the prime time for going out to lunch had passed.

Green eyes watched in amusement and stirring desire as Squall sipped at a steaming mug of hot chocolate. In commemoration of one of their first times eating together in public, he'd once again taken it upon himself to order the beverage and slide it over to the brunet. The only pitfall was the enticing way plush lips sipped at the rim of the black mug, and the way that pink tongue would slip out to lick those lips every so often.

"So, are we leaving Garden?" the blond asked, trying to distract himself. He decided he'd put the subject off long enough while trying to show his forgiveness by acting like he'd forgotten.

Staring out at the sea for a few another long moments, Squall turned to regard the blond across from him. "I don't know," he admitted. "Would it bother you?"

"Hey, like I said before, I'm only here because of you."

Frowning, Squall questioned with slight concern, "Do you not want to be here? I mean, forgetting about me, do you hate Garden now?" He'd never given it any thought, and for that he felt rather guilty. What if Seifer harbored deep seeded resent after the war, solely taking up residence there because of him?

"I don't really care," the ex-knight admitted truthfully. "I'm making more money now than I ever did with part time jobs, and I don't have to worry about anyone throwing stones. It would be nice to get out though, it's kind of depressing and mundane."

"Maybe Esthar," Squall said quietly, as if afraid to admit that he found the idea of visiting his father to be appealing. "I hadn't really considered what I'd do afterwards."

"You spent all this time thinking about it, and you have no clue what to do now?" Seifer asked incredulously. "Now I know you should have consulted me."

Shooting a half-hearted glare the knight's way, Squall defended, "It was a matter of wanting to be Commander, not wanting to do something else."

"Sure, sure," Seifer soothed in a condescending tone. "There isn't much out there for guys like us. Unless you plan on stowing your blade away, which I know you don't."

Frowning more deeply, Squall stared at the blond as if the man had all the answers. "You said you went from place to place after the war. What did you do then?"

"Nothing worthwhile Princess, trust me. I hopped each town for the sake of not being recognized. After all, my dashing good looks draw enough attention without everyone figuring I was Ultimecia's happy helper."

Rolling his eyes, Squall turned his attention back out the window. Mulling his suddenly endless prospects over, he wondered about a life outside of Garden. He'd only ever known how to be SeeD, and in his heart, he could never be much else but a fighter.

"You wanna go back in the field?" Seifer questioned.

Scoffing, Squall commented, "It's a little difficult to carry out missions when everyone knows who I am."

"Hmm," Seifer sounded in agreement. "Point taken."

A ridiculous thought occurred to Squall, his mind fleeting over a particular memory from the war's end. He called his short conversation with Zell to the forefront of his mind, refreshing the memory that had grown hazy. The bouncy boxer had been dismayed at unjunctioning Quezacotl after having that Guardian Force on for so long. Zell had gone on to talk about how many unknown GFs they'd discovered throughout the war, saying that there were likely dozens more just waiting to be found.

Seifer smirked as he watched delicate features become distant, knowing the cogs were working inside that pretty head. "I don't read minds Princess," he reminded.

Shaking his head, Squall dismissed his thoughts. "It's nothing," he answered.

"Do I have to drag everything out of you?" Seifer questioned with impatience.

"I was thinking about something Zell said," Squall admitted.

"Keep going," Seifer prompted when the brunet seemed finished.

Sending a glare Seifer's way, Squall crossed his arms in defiance, not liking to be made to speak or rush his words. "We found twelve new Guardian Forces, three have been known about for years, and Diablos which no one could tame. Together, we have sixteen."

"Yeah, and I've seen the statistics and pictures that are going into the books on 'em all, they're some freaky looking creatures," Seifer stated with an exaggerated grimace.

"The point is, that Zell once mentioned that there must be others, and he's right."

Eyes lighting up with interest, Seifer tried to remain as passive and emotionally guarded as Squall. "Okay, I'm listening."

"I was just thinking that someone has to find them, sometime anyway. Despite having the resources to send out search party's, most of SeeD can't really handle going to a lot of the uninhabited places around the world."

Biting his lip to force his excitement down, Seifer gulped and calmly remained motionless. However, his hold on his emotions was slipping. Sitting forward, he said, "Fuck Leonhart, are you suggesting we go around looking for these beasties, all the while taking on every monster that comes our way?"

Brows furrowed, Squall considered the excitement in Seifer's voice, perplexed by it. "I suppose it's the same basic idea," he muttered, not quite so enthused about it or having really thought it out in any detail.

"Fuck yeah," Seifer hissed in his attempted at a whispered shout. "You realize it would be just you and me, fighting every day and fucking every night? It's a fucking dream. Why the hell didn't you say something before?"

"…" Turning his focus out to sea once more, Squall ignored the blond knight's enthused mood. Taking a final sip of his sweet drink, he refused to let Seifer's excitement rub off on him. It was a crackpot idea that hadn't been thought through in the least. They needed to discuss everything before making any set plans.

A/N I swear that them going off on some solo excursion for GFs wasn't random. I've been planning it for a while… I was just sort of reluctant since it seemed like it should be a part of an entirely different story, what with everything in the sequel pretty much just being set in Garden. As much as I'd love to create some elaborate tales about their travels and what they find, I'm not going to draw this on forever… since everything gets old after a while. So, I'll see how I wanna work this so that I can give some closure when the story ends. (I'm not saying it'll be soon, but I'm not gonna make this longer than Protecting the Lion.)


	31. Chapter 31

Chapter Thirty-One

A New Mission

"Seifer, it's cold," Squall murmured against insistent lips.

"Cold?" Seifer questioned in disbelief. "I'm not cold at all." Pinning the brunet to the ground, their combined weight indenting untouched snow, he once more attacked soft lips.

Squall relented, but only for the sake of flipping positions and proving how uncomfortable it was to lie in the snow.

Over halfway back to Garden, the now former Commander had been lost in thought over the inevitable discussion he'd have to have with everyone. Distracted by his thoughts, Squall found himself tackled with a small grunt as the soft looking snow turned out to be less forgiving upon impact. Presently, he was still under attack by Seifer's lips, the battle heightening as the blond's tongue began to beg entrance.

It was only moments before Squall realized he would be unable to roll over, Seifer pressing down firmly against him with little hope for leverage. It was a slight relief as gloved hands twined in his hair and cradled his head away from the cold ground.

Forcing himself not to smirk into the kiss, Squall gently sucked on Seifer's tongue as he briefly let one hand slip away from around the broad form atop. Closely succumbing to smiling at the face he knew the older boy would make, Squall swiftly made his move.

"Fuck," Seifer cursed as he jumped back and tried to quickly shake out the snow that had been pushed beneath the collar of both coat and shirt. Unfortunately his shirt was tucked in, only sending slushy water running down his back. "You're mine Leonhart," the knight growled before leaping after the scrambling form.

Squall was delayed in his understanding that there were repercussions for his actions, but he managed to evade the tall blond nonetheless.

Before Seifer could stand straight to give chase, a ball of snow collided with his head. The little minx was certainly in a playful mood. A pleasant shiver ran through him as stifled laughter followed. Making a show of shaking his head like a dog, the debris of the most recent attack flying every which way, he stood up with a narrowed gaze of warning.

Reaching down, he took a handful of snow and formed a decent sized ball. Squall stood off about five meters, plush lips valiantly trying to hide the boy's obvious amusement. Green eyes sparkled while letting loose a well-aimed snowball. Though it was easily dodged, he trudged forward quickly, long legs better adept at running through a couple feet of snow.

Given both their ability to dodge even the closest of attacks, neither man was hit after the initial challenge made by Squall. However, Seifer spent his energies simply closing the distance between himself and the quicker brunet. It wasn't very long before the cold air and the difficulty treading through the snow began to take its toll.

Seifer felt his heart strumming with ridiculous elation as he noticed a slight lag in his kitten's movement. In silent submission, Squall stayed in place when he approached and at last managed to get his hands on the pale boy.

With cheeks flushed from mild exertion and cold air, Squall felt a faint feeling of apprehension, as if he should run from his looming punishment. It was entirely playful, not nearly as serious as their spars. Yet a small part still urged him to run quickly, perhaps beat the blond back to Garden.

Owning up to the knight's deserved revenge, he didn't duck away when strong arms encircled his waist and lift him clear off his feet.

Squeezing tightly until the deceptively fragile kitten gave a soft grunt from the constriction, Seifer set the boy back down from the bear hug. "You're gonna get it as soon as I get a hold of some ice cubes," the blond hissed as he pulled the brunet to him once more. This time he kept his hold loose, first directing Squall's arms to return the embrace. "Warm me up," he ordered with a nip to the brunet's earlobe.

Shying away from the nipping teeth, Squall failed to thwart the exploitation of one of several erogenous spots Seifer knew by heart. Distracted for a moment, he closed his eyes at the feel of the blond's wet and warm tongue laving over his near frozen ear.

Hands feeling a bit numb, Squall pressed as close as possible to wrap his arms all the way around Seifer's broad frame. Pulling the leather hand accessories off, he let them drop to the ground and pulled his arms back. With a better sense of touch, he deftly undid the outer buttons on the knight's long coat. He gave a small huff of disapproval at also having to unzip the garment. What point were buttons when the coat zipped up?

"Don't stop now," Seifer chastised when there was a slight pause. Encouraging the young man to continue, he firmly grabbing the brunet's ass. He almost pouted at not being able to feel Squall's flesh through all the leather.

Quirking a brow at the knight's apparent lack of care over being outside, Squall proceeded to loosen the man's black necktie. Only needing a little room, he left the tie still knotted before undoing the top most button of the white dress shirt. Not sure where he was taking this, only that Seifer seemed to like it, he continued until the firm chest and tan skin were exposed.

Pushing apart the clothing a bit, Squall smoothed his hands over the warm skin. Finding the heat enticing, he pressed in closer. Hands caressing along firm muscles, he untucked the shirt and reached around. His fingertips knew the different feel between hard abs and strong back. He could feel the dampness of the shirt, but Seifer's skin was just as warm in every spot.

Though it might have been asking for Squall to back off, Seifer found he wasn't thinking as clearly as usual. His eyes were trained on the chocolate mop of hair, his lids threatening to close despite his want to watch. "Think about how far you want to take this Princess," he advised huskily. He wasn't above screwing Squall right there in the open. It was a simple matter of laying his coat down and ravishing the sexy kitten to his heart's content.

With a small nod, Squall acknowledged that he shouldn't go too far. Being a tease was only tolerable in certain situations. After understanding how needy the blond knight could be, he knew where to draw the line. Since there was no way he was going to have sex out there, it landed on his shoulders to not arouse the blond beyond the breaking point.

Visible breath and numb limbs aside, the cold was evident by the knight's hardened nipples. Level with Seifer's chest, it was a simple matter of leaning in and licking the pert nubs. Gently nipping at one, he raked his short nails along Seifer's back.

Carrying on until he'd teased the nub to point where he figured it would begin to become a bit sore, Squall left it exposed to the air and worked on the other. As he licked it after biting, a groan erupted from the blond's throat.

Squall's signal was the hips that pressed forward and the hands at his butt that kept him in place for the knight to rub against. Pulling back, he kindly began to do the shirt back up.

Swallowing thickly, Seifer tried to settle down before his stirring erection became too hard, but he found the attentive manner that Squall set his clothes back in place was nearly just as arousing as the brunet teasing his nipples. Right down to straightening his tie better than it had been originally, he was covered up once more and feeling colder for it.

"Warm?" Squall questioned quietly, casting a gaze upwards at the tall ex-knight.

Clearing his throat, Seifer managed to answer, "Very."

For a long moment, they just stood there. The majority of the day had been entirely unproductive, but it didn't seem to matter anymore. Squall was certainly not used to feeling content at the end of the day unless he'd put in a good eleven or fifteen hours of work. But his life had changed in many ways since Seifer came back into it.

Taking a deep breath, Squall gave a faint smile. With no one but Seifer to see, there was little emotion he could keep from showing, regardless of how instinctive it was to act indifferent at every moment. It suddenly set in that after that day, he was no longer Commander. No more tedious reports or constant concerns about funding. Regardless of what happened next, he was absolutely satisfied with his decision.

Seifer returned the gesture, smiling outright. "I like it when you smile," he commented. He'd received more smiles from the brunet that day than in the fourteen years he'd known Squall.

As if realizing the ridiculous expression he was making, Squall's lips settled back into an impassive line. Though the pout and bowed shape were no less inviting, they did not express what stirred within.

Shaking his head, Seifer eased back and raised a hand to touch those soft lips. He considered it his duty to kiss them as often as possible, especially in the cold dry air that might chap them.

Running his thumb across Squall's bottom lip, his smile dropped. "I suppose you hide it so that I don't become spoiled."

Feigning a harsh glare, Squall quipped, "You've always been a spoiled brat."

Chuckling lightly, Seifer couldn't muster the will to refute the absolute truth of Squall's words. He was terribly spoiled. He had everything in the world and would never consider giving any of it up. Squall was his, every touch and fleeting gaze, every soft simper and private moment that he refused to share.

"I am," the blond whispered. Leaning down to kiss Squall he hummed his pleasure at being so spoiled. As a small shiver ran through the brunet, he pulled back. "Let's head back."

Squall was mildly surprised that there was such an obvious difference between a pleasured shiver and a cold shiver. Although, considering Seifer read him so well, it probably should have been expected.

Trudging along, the brunet allowed his hand to taken. Seifer led him after stooping to pick up his gloves. When they reached the road, the blond released his hand and handed over the black leather accessories to put on. It was almost amusing, as if Seifer didn't trust him to make it back to even ground without having him holding on. However, he chose not to argue any points on the matter.

"It'll be getting dark soon," Seifer commented, taking up Squall's hand again.

Squall didn't refute the obvious, but he also didn't congratulate the observation with any vocal agreement.

"If you weren't such a horny little kitten we could have been back by now," the blond stated in mock reprimand, tutting at the brunet for bad behavior.

Glaring at Seifer, Squall reminded, "Who started it?"

"Who finished it?" Seifer returned, not caring if he won the simple argument so long as he kept Squall talking. He loved the sound of Squall's voice. It was soothing even when lowered to give a dangerous warning to back off.

Unaware of Seifer's motives, Squall shot back, "Just like our fights."

"Ouch kitten, that hurts."

"Stop calling me that," Squall demanded. What was with Seifer and pet names? Why couldn't the blond at least think of something a little less bruising to his pride?

"Why?" Seifer taunted childishly.

"Because I said so."

"But it's cute and it suits you." Reaching across with his free arm, he scratched behind Squall's ear. "You're my little kitten."

"…" Past using words to dissuade the former knight, Squall sent a serious glare Seifer's way. He tried to express his intentions of biting the blond's finger off the next time he scratched him like some pet.

"Well, it's not like I make you call me anything particular," Seifer defended, hoping he wasn't opening himself to an array of abusive nick names now that he indirectly suggested it.

Facing forward and staring off down the snow packed road, bright gray-blue eyes stared with the sole purpose of ignoring the man beside him.

"They're terms of endearment," Seifer placated, not wanting to give up the names.

"They're demeaning," Squall muttered.

"What if I promise to say them only when your cute furry ears can hear?"

Suddenly remembering Seifer's earlier request in trade for forgiveness, Squall scoffed. "Comparing me to a cat isn't going to make me order that costume."

Seifer almost laughed at the connection, not having actually considered one relating to the other. Before he could respond however, a rather disturbing cry rang out from up ahead.

"Squall!"

Hand pinching the bridge of his nose, Squall sighed. With a nudge to Seifer's side, he tacitly requested the blond's assistance in responding.

"What's the emergency Tilmitt?" Seifer shouted. As the yellow ball of energy sprinted full speed towards them, he changed his grip from the hand to waist, protectively pulling Squall closer.

"How could you?" Selphie accused as she rushed closer. While she wore her jumper and boots, her bare arms and legs suggested that she hadn't given much thought when stepping outside.

"What'd I do?" Seifer questioned to himself and partly Squall.

"Nothing," Squall mumbled, knowing it wasn't Seifer for once.

"Oh," Seifer commented knowingly. This was about the whole resigning issue. If he'd only just found, then no doubt the other orphanage buddies had recently found out as well.

Before the young woman could fling herself at Squall, Seifer stepped in front of the brunet. It was his job to protect the Commander and today was his last day to be paid for it.

Stopping before Seifer, Selphie panted. "Squall!" she yelled angrily. "I've been looking for you all day! Where have you been?" Having searched Garden high and low, constantly calling both Squall and Seifer, it was obvious the pair had stepped out.

"Out," the brunet replied evenly from out of sight. He was none too motivated to step from behind Seifer.

"Get over here," the copper-haired woman demanded with a stomping foot.

Squall wondered just how much Xu had told her. Selphie was unpredictable. She might want to hug him to death or beat him up. Either way, he didn't want it. Reluctantly, he took a couple steps and came before the panting woman.

Jumping at Squall, Selphie wrapped her arms around him and squeezed tightly. "You never mentioned a thing. All this time, I thought it'd take years to rebuild."

Awkwardly standing with his arms at his side, Squall remained unresponsive. "Selphie, this isn't necessary."

Sniffling at the beginning of tears, Selphie croaked, "I love you."

Forcing himself not to groan, Squall tentatively pat the girl on the back. "Let's go back."

"Okay," Selphie said, following it with a sob. Her arms kept their tight hold, willing to go back but not willing to let go. "You're the best," she choked out.

"Selphie, we really need to go back," Squall said. She didn't understand the entire situation. Trabia was rebuilt, but that also meant her possible transfer and his departure from Garden. "I'm calling a meeting, I need to talk to everyone."

* * *

It was a struggle to make Selphie take her seat in the conference room. Her chair swiveled continually in a show of her want to stand up and hug Squall.

Irvine sat beside Selphie, a dark frown in place of his usually welcoming and laid back smirk. The gunman knew the time had come. He had feared it since the day of the festival. He'd grown a bit hopeful when the day past without any announcements by the Commander. However, now that Xu was there, he understood the delay.

Quistis sat with a look of concern, detecting that something was awry but not certain what it was. The fact that Xu seemed to know something was definitely a big indicator that a secret was being kept from the group.

Zell chose to stand, not being forced to sit since he wasn't constantly trying to attach himself to the Commander. Bouncing from foot to foot, he wasn't too thrilled to have been pulled from an early dinner with Greta. He swatted the air with impatience, itching to get back to his apartment.

Raijin and Fujin sat beside each other, curious at their inclusion in the matter, especially when Seifer wouldn't tell them anything. Their blond friend had knowing green eyes, but refused to hold it over their heads, which was slightly alarming. If Seifer wasn't flaunting the perk of knowing the Commander's business ahead of time, then it was too serious for even the ex-knight to joke about.

Squall quietly sat in his seat, thinking for a few moments. Surprisingly, he felt far less apprehensive about informing his friends than he had Seifer.

"I've resigned as Commander," Squall stated clearly, his face expressionless while his words were solemn.

There was a collective hush, as if the sound of curious questions in everyone's heads had been making a noise and now they all stopped. Irvine, Seifer, and Xu were the exceptions.

"Xu Yashime is your new Commander."

As all eyes turned to the dark haired young woman, she stood up and gave Squall a firm salute. "I have accepted the position with great honor."

"Then, what are you now, ya know?" Raijin questioned.

Squall regarded the burly fighter. "Not Commander," the brunet supplied in answer. He truthfully didn't know what he was. Being Commander had been a defining role for him, and without it he was just Squall Leonhart.

"OBVIOUSLY," Fujin said tersely.

"Our future isn't exactly clear," Seifer said to Fujin. Squall was obviously not the Commander any more and the young lion seemed at a loss for giving the group an explanation for what he desired from life. "We're leaving," the blond said to the collective group.

"Leaving?" Zell said as he stood completely still. "Where to?"

"We're not sure yet Dincht. We haven't sorted out all the details."

Squall felt reassured by Seifer's words. It was suddenly clear that he wasn't alone even if he opted to leave Garden behind completely.

"What brought this on?" Quistis questioned calmly. She was torn between two extremes. As happy as she was for Xu, knowing her friend would make a wonderful Commander, she felt a great sadness to know Squall was not her leader any more. After all they'd gone through, the Balamb Lion would no longer be there to rely on. "The cadets will be in mourning," she stated without exaggeration.

"Xu's ass might not be nearly as sexy as Squall's, but I'm sure lots of young boys will enjoy staring at it. They'll get over the loss," Seifer stated reasonably.

Irvine gave a wry smirk at the blond's never ending arrogance. Everything was one big joke and in a very small way it helped. "What about our transfers?" the gunman prompted.

Frowning, Squall stared into violet eyes for a long moment. "I'd hoped to speak to you in private about that," the brunet stated. He didn't want to place any pressure on Selphie or Irvine to answer in front of everyone.

"Why?" the gunman pressed. "Just make the offer."

Eyes narrowing, Squall gave a nod. Regarding Selphie, who seemed to have paled a bit, he said, "I wanted to transfer you to Trabia Garden. It's entirely optional and open to both you and Irvine."

Slightly puffy and bloodshot eyes rose from their distant staring. Selphie stared imploringly into the gray-blue eyes of her strong leader. Abruptly, she stood up and dashed for the door. As her form vanished, Irvine shot from his chair and swiftly followed.

Zell, who seemed to have mistaken the gunman's departure, trotted towards the door as well. "I need time to think about this," he muttered before leaving, his steps not nearly as energetic as normal.

Pinching the bridge of his nose, Squall sighed. He knew his decision wasn't going to be accepted easily, but there was big difference between anticipating a reaction and having it stare at him with sad eyes.

"Well, it's not like we could have stayed like this forever," Quistis commented. While she wasn't trying to be consoling, she didn't think Squall needed to be given grief over doing something that he'd obviously wanted to do for some time.

"With Ragnarok, none of you will really be that far apart," Xu pointed out.

"AFFIRMATIVE," Fujin agreed.

"It's weird, ya know? 'Commander Yashime.' It just don't sound right." After a moment, dark brown eyes widened. "No offense or nothin', ya know?" he added with a glance to Xu.

"None taken," Xu assured.

"Before you go anywhere, I want to know what you plan on doing next," Quistis said with a stern gaze to her former Commander.

"Treasure hunting," Seifer said, enjoying the confused look in everyone's eyes. "The treasure being all the scattered beasties you guys like to put in your head."

After a moment, crystal blue eyes widened behind wire rimmed glasses. "Guardian Forces?" Quistis questioned. "You're going to search for Guardian Forces?"

In the silence that followed, it became apparent that Quistis was speaking to Squall and that Seifer wasn't going to answer for him. "That's one option," he muttered with a glare to the knight beside him.

"That's brilliant," Xu affirmed. "I always wondered why you guys settled for the ones you have. We don't really know much about them, do we?"

"It's not that no one's thought of it," Quistis commented.

"But it was never a good time," Squall finished for the blonde Headmistress, giving a knowing glance. She understood the intricacies of taking time to settle down after the war and not making any changes until the world was calm again.

"That's not fair, ya know?" Raijin interjected. "Seifer, you're leaving us again?" he questioned.

"Afraid so my friend," Seifer said with a grin. "I follow my heart, sail the open seas. I'm a free man."

"CHASING TAIL," Fujin announced with her red eye staring firmly at the blond.

Bristling indignantly, Seifer defended, "If I happen to get more alone time with Squally-boy, then it is merely coincidence."

"You're not leaving for good, like never come back to see us, ya know?" Raijin asked.

"Of course not," the blond assured. "What the hell would we want with a bunch of GFs anyway? I figure we find the critters and hand them over to Garden."

"Then this is a mission," Xu commented.

"No," Squall refuted. He wasn't going on a mission. It was just an expedition of sorts that would probably be more like a vacation.

"As Commander, I can't accept Guardian Forces unless their discovery was in the name of Garden."

Frowning, Squall gave Xu a puzzled look. That was hardly the rule about new GFs.

"Consider it my way of making sure you come back and visit all the tearful cadets," the dark eyed woman said with a smile.

"If there is payment involved, then consider it a done deal," Seifer chimed in with a wide grin. It was almost too easy to get paid these days. His checks were loading his account with more money than he needed and it was basically all for just watching Squall's sexy ass. Now, he got to screw around and have fun with the brunet while still getting paid. He had every reason to be as cocky as he was. He was fucking genius.

TBC…

A/N So, not everyone took it very well, but that's to be expected. I'm really having fun with Squall's character now. He's so much more versatile now that he's become open to expression around Seifer.


	32. Chapter 32

Chapter Thirty-Two

A Set Course

Given Selphie's attitude when she'd rushed out of the conference room the previous day, Squall was mildly surprised to find her skipping into the dining hall as if nothing had happened. While it was far too early in the morning to deal with such energy from anyone, Squall gently tugged on Seifer's shirtsleeve when the blond seemed inclined to complain about it.

"No one should be that happy unless they're waking up with the hottest piece of ass next to them," Seifer grumbled as he rubbed his temple. He was indirectly expressing his annoyance over waking up alone that morning. Taking a relishing swig of his orange juice, he set the glass down with a thud, as if to state that he was carrying on without acknowledging his partner.

"This is better," Squall commented quietly, watching from across the cafeteria as Selphie twirled about and spoke with the young cadet behind the food counter. If forced to choose between the two extremes of happy and sad, he'd take a happy Selphie without question.

Brow quirked at the easy manner Squall brushed his sulking mood aside, he sighed and decided to be a bit more direct with the source of his qualm that morning. "It'll be better when you stop acting like this place is going to fall apart without you," the ex-knight chastised with an affectionate tousle to silky brown hair.

Sending the blond a warning glare, Squall expressed his refusal to defend his actions from earlier that morning beyond having already stated where he'd been. Helping Xu become situated was a necessary task. He couldn't be spurned every time he didn't remain in bed until Seifer decided to wake up.

"You're impossible," Seifer said with an exaggerated sigh.

"I might say the same," Squall muttered as an incorrigible hand groped his inner thigh. Apparently the sulking anger didn't mean fondling was forfeit. Still, he tried to ignore it, directing his focus on the hot cup of chocolate liquid set before him. Oddly, the drink had grown on him, though he wouldn't have minded a nice cup of coffee.

Leaning over, Seifer brushed his lips across the brunet's ear. "I like the way you feel," he whispered softly. His hand gave a firm squeeze precariously near the younger man's groin. As a small shiver ran through Squall's body, he grinned widely. He loved eliciting reactions from his kitten.

Squall wasn't certain how concerned he should be that he hadn't knocked Seifer's hand away already. The ex-knight was definitely a bad influence, but he couldn't deny how it made him feel. It wasn't something he could simply ignore any longer. He shivered in anticipation of a more gratifying touch, hoping Seifer wouldn't actually give him too much stimulation while wishing for nothing more than just that.

"Morning!" Selphie cheered as she sat down, taking a seat adjacent to Squall and across from Seifer.

Squall almost jumped, silently berating his own foolishness. Having shut his eyes, he'd been completely unaware of the copper-haired woman's approach.

"You seem particularly peppy this morning Tilmitt," Seifer commented. His grin widened as he brashly ran his fingers over the crotch of Squall's denim pants. And just like that the flames were doused as an angry kitten painfully twisted the skin on the back of his hand, but not before giving off a surprised jolt at his actions.

With a small grunt, Seifer covered his pained expression by coughing. Straightening in his seat, he folded his hands on the tabletop in a promising gesture to not misbehave further.

"You two alright?" Selphie intoned curiously before fitting an entire apple slice into her mouth and chewing.

"Fine," Squall bit out as he crossed his arms and none too discreetly turned his focus away from Seifer.

"So," Seifer began with an air of omniscience, "I take it you finally got some from the pining cowboy."

Nearly spraying her two companions with apple bits, Selphie managed to swallow with the aid of a hand clamped over her mouth. After a sheepish moment where her bright green eyes darted from her former Commander who seemed in a bad mood to the blunt ex-knight who simply smirked, she finally gave in. Laughing victoriously, she smiled brightly. "It was super great!" she announced.

Pinching the bridge of his nose, Squall prayed to Hyne that he wasn't about to hear details.

"Yeah, yeah," Seifer interrupted, uninterested now that the energetic girl was obviously not reluctant about the subject. "It was all magical and romantic," he said with a thick note of sarcasm.

"Not at all," Selphie said as she leaned in close. "Irvy calls me his little masochist now."

"Hyne," Squall groaned in a vocal attempt to dissuade further explanation.

Quirking a brow, Seifer asked the all-important question, "So is Kinneas still drooling after my catch or have you finally hooked him?"

"Hook, line, and sinker my big blond buddy. After last night I don't think he'll be thinking about anyone but me for a long time. Besides, he stopped having dreams about Squall a little while ago anyway."

Jade green eyes narrowed at the proclamation, finding cause for concern instead of relief. "Doesn't matter, cause I'm taking him away."

Mildly irritated at the ex-knight's twisted phrasing, Squall chose not to comment on it.

Sticking her tongue out, Selphie expressed her view on the matter. However, her bright smile a moment later was enough to let both boys know that she was still as elated as ever. The usually cheerful pilot was beyond happy that day, and unless another missile assault was launched at the newly reconstructed Trabia, there was little anyone could say or do that could even tear her thoughts away from Irvine.

Seifer knew the feeling well enough. Before he'd even slept with Squall, he couldn't think of anything else. If another person had been his charge, they'd likely be dead, since his eyes only followed one person for the past couple months.

"Squall," Selphie managed to say with her mouth full of more fruit. "I wanted to thank you again. I'm not ungrateful or anything, it's just super depressing to think you won't be our Commander anymore."

Squall gave a curt nod signifying his understanding on the matter. With a small sip of his cooling drink, he considered the matter closed.

Fork raised with piece of speared pineapple, Selphie waved the eating utensil about as she spoke, "It's silly, but I kind of thought we'd always be together. When Seifer came back, I thought, 'Finally, we're together again.'" Roughly chomping down on the bite of defenseless fruit, she stabbed another piece from her plate.

Grey-blue eyes watched the procession of rough ingestion, questioning whether she was just enthusiastic about her food or belying a still present distraught over his resignation. He really hadn't become any better at reading emotions properly. He thought she was over it, judging from her energetic procession only a few minutes ago.

"It's silly, I know," the copper-hair girl reiterated. "We couldn't possibly all stay together like this. I knew Trabia would be rebuilt one day, but I guess I didn't wanna consider what would happen when that day arrived."

Lips pressed together, Squall refrained from speaking up. He wasn't much for consoling people, his words general doing more harm than good. He felt Seifer's hand return to his leg, as if tapping him to take action. Still, he doubted his ability to say anything worthwhile in such a situation. He didn't deal well with tears or any other form of emotional distress.

Unaware of the panicked uncertainty in grey-blue eyes, Selphie continued to explain her stance on everything. "I think Irvy knew what was coming. He's good at that sort of thing. He sees things the rest of us don't." She gave a humorless laugh as her hand settled on the tabletop, food forgotten. "I guess that's why he's a sharpshooter."

"This isn't the end," Squall finally said, his words earning a squeeze from the hand at his knee. Glancing at the blond knight, he almost questioned the action, but then realized Seifer was encouraging him further He was suddenly reminded of the time Quistis had practically shoved the intercom down his throat to make him speak to the students, preaching something about how regardless of his ability to give a decent speech it was who he was that made the difference. "Balamb Garden is not the orphanage," he said flatly.

Seifer felt the urge to pat the brunet's head for a worthy attempt, even if it came out a bit harsh.

"I know," the young woman said after some hesitation.

"I'm not sure you do," Squall followed up succinctly. If anything, he figured consoling was like giving advice and the only advice he had was the truth. The trouble was trying to word it properly and not sound so cold.

Wide eyed, Selphie leveled her former Commander with a surprised gaze of slight hurt.

"Kitten, a little more nicely might be nice," Seifer commented quietly, his hand leaving its perch.

Brows furrowed, Squall glanced at the ex-knight in confusion. "It's true," he stated in defense. "We were together at the orphanage, but just because we reunited doesn't mean we need to spend the rest of our lives together over some coincidence."

Leaning forward, Selphie asserted, "It wasn't coincidence, it was fate. We totally forgot about each other and fate drew us together again."

Shaking his head, Squall disagreed. He felt a certain obligation to back up his views once they were put out there. "From the orphanage many kids are sent off to Gardens. Even those with families choose to join up because some of their closest friends are there. All the Gardens are connected. A war happened, so we met again. It isn't fate, it was a highly probable coincidence."

"So you don't think we belong together?" the pilot accused with teary eyes that meant the pale bladist had said something truly horrible.

"Not really," Squall said with slight indecision. A bit too late, he realized he had done more damage than repair.

Seifer cleared his throat in an attempt to dissuade the oblivious young man from bludgeoning the chipper woman with more honesty.

"What's 'not really' mean?" Selphie questioned, practically leaning all the way over to bring herself closer to Squall.

Lips tightly sealed, Squall cast a quick glance to Seifer. The blond gave a nearly imperceptible shake of his head. Having his suspicion of doing more harm confirmed, he figured it was probably best to keep his silence.

"Seifer, stay out of this," Selphie ordered without even seeing the exchange.

Frowning, Squall stared sternly at the woman before him. Finding that his choices consisted of dashing from the table or elaborating his meaning, he chose words instead of cowardly action. Sometimes Selphie could be intimidating, but at the moment it was mainly the awkward situation for him that threw him off center.

With a hardening gaze, Squall spoke again, "If you're under the impression that we should stay in one place because fate put us here, then I disagree. It's not a matter of belonging together. It's a matter of wanting to be together. If you want to see Quistis or Zell, then make the trip, but don't spend your life here simply because you feel obligated." Having used all his words up for the day, Squall continued to stare with steely cool eyes and his lips forming a thin line.

One tear slipped down a soft cheek. Selphie was frozen in place, held by the unwavering gaze of her former Commander. "I'm going to miss you guys so much," she said with a heavy sigh. "Especially you," she added. Breaking the stare down, she shuffled from her seat to wrap her arms around the pale brunet. "Just don't become some mute hermit on us when you're gone."

Postured with pride, Seifer gave a sly smirk over Squall's ability to actually say something both truthful and consoling. "Squally-boy won't be mute when I'm making him scream my name every night," he assured the messenger girl.

Releasing the tense brunet from her hold, Selphie stood straight and walked around to the broad formed knight. Hugging the man from behind, resting much of her hunched weight on him, she said, "I'm even going to miss you and all your over compensating arrogance."

"Over compensating?" Seifer remarked with incredulity. "I have no short comings. Squall, tell her how well I bang your ass."

Blushing slightly, Squall glared at his hot chocolate. At length he sought revenge with a dismissive shrug that left the matter open to interpretation.

Selphie just laughed. It wasn't very often any of them managed to sink their teeth into Seifer. The childhood bully always seemed to speak a good quip before anyone else could even comprehend the situation. "It's too bad I took Irvy, Squall. He might have showed you how it's really done."

Finding the joking was like a double-edged sword, Squall blushed more deeply and chose not to encourage the pilot's behavior lest it push Seifer to standing up and declaring something private to the whole of the cafeteria. At the heated gaze of jade green eyes, he could tell the blond had become a bit serious and now demanded his support. Wanting to groan in complaint, he simply held his ground and remained silent.

Huffing indignantly, Seifer shirked the lingering hold of Tilmitt off before muttering, "I'm the better lover, and it might be nice to hear it from you every once in a while."

"I have a million things to prepare," Selphie announced on a different note, her words directed at Squall. "Don't you dare skip out on my going away party tonight, Squall Leonhart. It's starts at five. I'm bringing every one of my cameras, so practice smiling in the mirror." Wagging her finger at the frowning brunet, she added, "At least practice not frowning. And I'm not letting you leave without at least one good picture of you two kissing."

Hands on her hips, she surveyed the pair. "I'm taking the transfer, so that means four of us are leaving, which means we all need to get drunk and do all the stupid stuff we never could during the war."

Cringing, Squall imagined being surrounded by a room of drunken friends. While he would refuse all alcohol, he didn't know how practiced everyone else's livers were.

Taking her plate of uneaten fruit salad, she walked away with a level of bounce that placed her somewhere between normal and depressed. It was obvious she was still saddened by the drastic and sudden changes about to occur, but a strong affection for the sharp shooting cowboy was definitely lifting her spirits.

Once the mood fluctuating pilot was out of sight, Squall focused his attention on a surprisingly insecure ex-knight. Sighing resignedly, he reached over and grasped the man's hand. Brashly directing it to rest at his groin, he watched the change that came over jade colored eyes.

An almost shy grin overcame handsome features, as if Seifer were demurely surprised at the feel of the half hardened length that he had caused. "I am the better lover," he whispered as his grin widened, his words containing the confidence that had somehow slipped away at the stinging remembrance of the gunman's crush.

"For someone with too much confidence, I'll never understand why you need assurances," Squall mumbled as he released the knight's hand.

Raking his fingers through soft brown hair, Seifer openly touched the younger man, daring to lean over and press his lips to Squall's temple. The seeming indifference altered to a tense reluctance, the former Commander still entirely uncomfortable with public displays. "You're my greatest weakness princess. You can make me the happiest man in the world just as easily as you can break me. My confidence means nothing when it comes to you."

Face flushed, Squall knocked the blond's hand away. "Don't say stuff like that," he murmured with embarrassment.

* * *

"Would you quit that?" Seifer called from the bed. Hands pillowing his head, he lay sprawled on Squall's bed and watched the brunet's hunched back from across the room. "This might be our last night in a nice comfortable bed."

"Have you given this any consideration?" Squall mumbled. Stifling a yawn, he straightened his posture and turned to regard the lounging ex-knight.

With a grin, Seifer answered, "There are rumors floating around in every town. Those are our leads, and we go from there."

Shaking his head, Squall explained, "It's not that easy."

"Sure it is," came the firm reply from the relaxing man. "Stop worrying unnecessarily."

Scoffing, Squall turned back to his laptop and continued reading the collected material on Guardian Forces and speculated locations. "One of us has to," he muttered in reply.

"This is like time off, no matter what Yashime says. Get your tight ass over here now," the blond grumbled out as he sat up and pat the bed insistently.

In a smooth, graceful motion, Squall stood from his seat. Without glancing Seifer's way, he walked from the room.

Flopping back down to the bed Seifer cursed aloud. He should have known ordering Squall would have an adverse effect. The sound of the bathroom door closing was his assurance that his kitten hadn't scampered off too far.

It was torture simply waiting for Squall to finish taking a shower. With firm resolve, Seifer managed to keep himself in place, though his lecherous thoughts sorely tested his control.

If he lay still enough and listened, he could hear the water. By the time he heard the taps turned off, he was beyond horny and needed Squall beside him. There were times when he cursed the former Commander's stubborn and willful nature, even if it was something he loved about the younger man.

Seconds turned into minutes as the blond waited for the door to open. It was troublesome that all SeeD could move around in near silence. Usually it didn't matter, since most people only ever measured their steps on missions. Squall had a certain grace about him and never seemed to stumble without doing it quietly.

The turning knob on the door was the only indication that his damp and clean minx had returned. Forcing himself to appear as calm and relaxed as ever, he grinned at the scowling expression on the pretty face that came into view.

Green eyes roved the near naked form with hunger. Such a perfect and lithe build, a body made for fucking and fighting. Gulping, he tried to uphold his casual demeanor, though a few more minutes of gazing at Squall would leave him with a raging hard on, which would ultimately betray him.

Expression softening, Squall felt his annoyance had abated with his shower. He was rather tired. It was as if his body protested all research and desk jockey work the moment he was free of his title as Commander. Now that he didn't have to do it, his body seemed unwilling.

Deciding that perhaps Seifer had a point about relishing their last night in Garden together, Squall finished tousling his hair with the towel and moved to his desk. One hand clasped the towel about his waist, feeling as if it had come a bit loose while he walked.

Powering his laptop down, he stared for several moments at the blank screen. "Between Winhill and the Island Closest to Heaven, it seems like both are likely hosting some strange manner of creature."

"Is that so?" Seifer managed to question, his mind not quite keeping up. A wet Squall was always particularly sexy, and as several beads of water trailed down a pale back, he felt his resolve for indifference break.

Turning around, Squall eyed the blond keenly. Frowning at the odd mixture of emotions he saw, he questioned, "If you don't care where we go, that's fine. Just remember that you were the one acting so ecstatic about it all."

"It's not that I don't care," Seifer assured with a more serious tone. "I'm just horny as hell, and you're standing there like that when I need you here." He sat up and motioned for Squall to come to him.

"Maybe we shouldn't leave tomorrow," Squall suggested as he drop the towel from his shoulders. Complying with the ex-knight's wish, he casually undid the second towel at his waist and walked closer without care for being exposed.

"The island near heaven, is that the one by Esthar, or is that hell?"

"Heaven is near Esthar," Squall answered as he knelt on the mattress and accepted the needy arms that wrap around him.

Pulling the lithe body close, Seifer quickly pinned the brunet beneath him. "Then we go there, then you can see Loire."

Before he could agree, Squall found his words stopped by the rough press of Seifer's lips. Slowly, everything other than Seifer left his mind. As the exchange deepened, the knight delving into his mouth, his hands found strands of blond hair to gently grasp.

Seifer hummed into the kiss as bare legs parted to better accommodate him. He could kiss Squall like this forever, if only air weren't a necessity. Parting just for the moment, Seifer gazed into lustful blue-grey eyes.

He couldn't help but feel torn between wanting to capture each moment forever and never letting anyone but him see Squall like this. While he could easily set up a camera and not so easily persuade the brunet to allow it, the nature of intimacy captured on film would forever haunt him with the threat of someone else seeing Squall as only he was allowed to. Tilmitt hadn't even come close to capturing the passion between them with those few pictures from earlier.

Shaking off such thoughts, Seifer captured plush lips once more. From then on, Squall was his alone, no matter what. That was all he needed to know. Nothing else mattered.

TBC…

A/N yawns sorry to end it so abruptly like that, I know finishing the scene between them would have been nice, but I can't write a lemon into every chapter, even if I'd like to. Well, I went to Virginia for a couple days and couldn't really write with so much going on around me… and while I've been back for a day, I'm going camping tomorrow. So, no updates until Monday… but I can promise to write long hand and have something by then for certain. Until next time, please review and check out the meteor shower if you can, I know I am.


	33. Chapter 33

**Warning: explicit sexual content. No kiddies allowed. **

Chapter Thirty-Three

A Sore Farewell

It had been some time since Shiva had last entertained Squall's dreams. Inside his mind and assimilated into who he was, the former Commander was highly reluctant to unjunction the Guardian Force. Whether a result of no longer needing her or because being with Seifer in his waking hours was tiring enough, the creature of Hyne had grown rather silent.

Drifting off with the lulling rhythm of steady heartbeats within Seifer's chest, Squall made a conscious effort to seek her out. For the stoic and introverted brunet, his nighttime visitation was very different than previous times.

The cold was not as welcome and he half suspected his sleeping body was furling close to the blond knight's warmth. The darkness was a bit frightening, almost threatening to trap him in a world between two planes. The isolation and cold winds used to be such a calming sanctuary from the world. Yet, all he could think about was how soon he could return and wallow in the feel of strong arms holding him, which he'd become sadly addicted to.

"Would you like him beside you?" Shiva's ethereal voice echoed within the dark.

Surprised, Squall didn't reply right away. "No," he managed with a note of slight offense.

Amused chuckling sounded as the view of a snowy expanse replaced the total darkness. "I only ask because you seem reluctant to leave your knight, even in sleep," Shiva assured, her presence still undetectable. "I am at our tree, waiting for you as always."

Feeling mildly better for having set surroundings, Squall gave a scoff of disapproval at the implication that he needed Seifer to hold his hand. He wasn't reluctant to leave the blond, it was just colder than he last remembered.

Hugging his frame, he discovered not for the first time that he wore his usual leather pants, shirt, and jacket. It had been some time since he'd last worn all his belts. The weight of them around his waist was almost comforting in its familiarity.

With a long gaze around, he forced himself to remember ever detail sharply. It was the original scenery from when he first began to rely on Shiva to guard his sleep. The previous few times he'd met with her, it had been in the clearing of a dense forest. He never really understood her choice of setting, whether it was a passing fancy or if it correlated with his own mindset.

Spotting the familiar tree on a distant hilltop, he zipped his coat up and began the trek. The walk seemed different than usual. He felt unburdened by the knowledge that when he woke he'd have to begin his day anew with problems and worries. He wasn't weary or fatigued with sleep deprivation. However, as the tree of bare branches with snow adorning each wayward limb grew larger with each step, he also felt no sense of relief.

Shiva used to be whom he came to when he was too weak to carry on. Seeing that gnarled tree loom closer had meant the possibility of a couple hours reprieve.

Again, he was reminded of how much things had change, or rather how much he had changed.

A small smile ghosted his lips at the prospect of waking in the blond man's arms instead of awkwardly curled on the couch in the Headmaster's office.

A strong breeze blew once he stepped beneath the out reaching branches. He didn't bother looking up to see if snow would fall on his head, since he'd learned his lesson long ago. Shiva had been quite amused when her lion wound up with a face full of snow. Small amounts fell around him, but that was all.

At the peak of the hill, grey-blue eye took in the almost eerie landscape once more. Aside from the one hill, the land was flat and blanketed in white. The sky was near black with contrasting stars scattered throughout. It was a moonless night, making it darker than usual, but still far from the absolute darkness that surrounded him coming and going from the snowy world.

"I've been lonely," Shiva spoke from around the other side of the tree.

Squall stopped delaying and walked around the thick trunk. The Ice Queen stood in all her other worldly glory, waiting patiently for his arrival.

"You are well," she announced with a tone that implied both happiness and sadness. Pale blue lips formed a gentle smile. "Come here."

Heeding the light command, the brunet stepped closer and accepted the motherly hug.

"I am sad to not be with you, but this knight of yours makes you happier than I ever could."

While sympathetic to the GF's feelings, Squall had other concerns in mind. "What will happen?" he questioned solemnly. He referred the following day when he would unjunction Shiva for the first time since before the war. Almost nine months with the constant presence of the ice queen in the back of his mind. It wasn't absolutely necessary, but regardless of what Xu or Quistis said, he wasn't a part of Garden anymore. The GFs were for SeeD only, trained soldiers capable of using them. The last thing he wanted was to give Caraway, Martine, and everyone who had opposed his leadership ammo against Commander Yashime and Headmistress Trepe.

Shiva stroked the young man's hair, her motherly nature more pronounced given the seeming finality of their meeting. "I do not know young one. I imagine that just as I have grown accustomed to you and will sorely miss such a bonded summoning, you will feel a bit empty at times."

"Empty," Squall murmured in thought. "You will be fine though?"

Chuckling lightly, the guardian commented, "You still never consider yourself, even when you know I'm immortal."

"I'll be fine," the pale fighter stated firmly.

"Of course," she agreed, releasing him from her hold. "If you ever need me, I will answer your summon."

Wide eyed, Squall stared. He wanted to ask if that was even possible, but given the ageless creature had just made the promise, that was obviously the case. Quistis would have a conniption over a summoning where a GF wasn't junctioned.

"Thank you," Squall said with a dozen meanings behind it. Shiva had been his guardian both in and out of battle, and she'd been his greatest confidant. There were even times when her care and gentle touches made him feel like she was something of a mother in a very warped sort of way.

"My sweet lion," she spoke with a smile. "You still do not see the love I have for you. Your friends, would they not have done the same had you asked it of them?" Taking a seat by the odd disfiguration in the tree trunk, she motioned for the stubborn boy to join her. Her long limbs rested with ease and grace, making her appear completely in her element.

Squall followed suit, soon situated comfortably against the depression in wood. Expressing his gratitude any further was pointless, but he still felt as if her role was more than what he could have asked of his friends. While he appreciated their care, he was miles away from being completely open with them. Shiva was different, and because of that, her willingness to extend their relationship beyond battle would always mean a great deal to him.

"So, how is your handsome knight?"

Quirking a brow at Shiva's continued curiosity in such affairs as his love life, he remained silent for a moment. "Bossy, arrogant, perpetually aroused," he muttered darkly. There was always the sense that when he talked with Shiva, it was the same as mulling his own thoughts over, since on some level it was all in his head.

Cold winds swept along, causing Squall to burrow deeper into his jacket. Nodding his understanding, he added, "He's gentle, like I'll break if he hugs me too hard. It's annoying at times, but I've come to like that about him."

"He cares for you deeply," Shiva hummed pleasantly. "In battle he knows he can be strong because you are strong. Outside of your warrior's strength, he knows not what strength to use. I imagine he is frightened of hurting you, as he should be."

"As he should be?" Squall questioned with a scoff. Why was it that even when he wasn't seeking advice, he wound up receiving more than he knew what to do with?

"My lion, I know you are not glass, but I have also seen your lover. He is very powerful, and you have grown to love him. You are weak against him."

Grey-blue eyes studied the godly woman of pale blue skin. Though curious at some deeper meaning, he simply nodded in acceptance. The earlier words of Seifer came to mind, about how the older boy's confidence meant nothing when it involved him. Physically, Seifer could certainly hurt him given he slept right in the man's muscular arms. Yet, there were so many other ways he might be hurt. Squall honestly couldn't imagine returning to the way his life had been without Seifer. Even if he were free of all professional responsibilities as Headmaster and Commander, to move on alone seemed admittedly frightening.

With a vacant expression, bowed lips barely moved as they formed the words, "I love him." There was a lot more to loving someone than he'd ever considered. He supposed dressing up like some slutty maid was only the tip of the iceberg. Seifer was his weakness, and he didn't want to envision the many consequences that could bring.

"You are always so difficult," the serene guardian commented.

"I could have done without having Seifer die right before my eyes to figure it out." Though Squall made light of the event, his heart became heavy every time he remembered it.

"I believe I was forgiven for that transgression."

Smirking, Squall glanced at the goddess beside him, vaguely wondering when confiding in such an inhuman being had become so casual. "I hold nothing against you, but some nightmares are hard to forget."

Smiling in response, she opened her arms. It was a sore night for her indeed. She couldn't recall the last time she'd been with such a strong fighter. Battle was a joy when she could draw on such power, and to lose it was saddening. There also a strange affection she held for the reluctant hero, a feeling that was entirely too human but still undeniable.

With an ever-present hesitation for contact, something she was certain only her lion's beau didn't receive, the strong willed boy shifted closer. His soul was so calm and content since finally realizing his love for the knight Almasy.

\/\/\/\/\/

Restraint was not exactly what Seifer was best known for. Though the timing was all off, he couldn't deny that he was in need of release. His bed partner was pressed close, the feel of skin against his own as satisfying as ever. It was almost four in the morning, and he couldn't quite remember if he'd been dreaming of Squall or if he'd just reacted with carnal instincts to the body at his side.

He'd woken up to find himself gently rubbing his swollen erection against the younger man's lean thigh. While he'd stopped himself and groaned at the immature nature of his body, he was often a slave to his hormones and gave into the urge.

In his defense, Squall was quite responsive to his groping hands. The arching back of his kitten was definitely a sign that the brunet enjoyed the massaging fondling he gave to firm ass cheeks.

Shifting, he drew Squall to lie on top of him. In innocent unawareness, the brunet remained asleep, stirring a bit only to rest more comfortably and nuzzle against his neck. Silently chiding the oblivious man for being too enticing, he ran his fingers along a smooth backside. The small shiver his actions incurred gave him confidence that Squall would not bite his head off later on.

Trailing a hand back down, beneath the blanket that wouldn't stay in place for much longer, he drew a finger along the cleft between shapely cheeks. Gently nudging against an already abused anus, he probed the puckered entrance as his desire to be buried deeply in Squall's body grew.

"Seifer," came the faint moan, warm breath teasing the ex-knight's neck.

Not replying, Seifer continued his ministrations. No matter how many times they fucked, the Squall's entrance remained as tight as ever. It was simply the most pleasurable feeling of ecstasy to be hilt deep inside that clamping heat. It gripped him with almost painful tightness, even after he'd thrust in enough times to loosen it up.

Awareness for Squall came when invading fingers raked over his prostate gland. Nearly forgetting how to breath, he gasped for air after realizing he'd tensed and buried his face against the pillow beneath Seifer.

"What the hell?" Squall bit out defensively, hardly caring that his own growing erection gave away how much he was enjoying the blond's touches.

"I wanna be inside you," Seifer grunted in explanation as he extracted his fingers and quickly prepared to enter. His weeping organ was ready, the reddened tip begging to slip beyond the rosy anus he'd stretched to fit him.

Biting his lip, Squall kept from moaning at the feel of Seifer's hard length gliding along the cleft of his ass. The blond was waiting for his agreement, and as much as he wanted to give it, he couldn't help but protest. "It's four in the morning," he pointed out with a glance to a nearby alarm clock. "I was sleeping."

"So was I, until you gave me a hard on," Seifer defended, wondering if he could plead his case quickly and make it convincing after he'd found his release.

"Jerk off in the bathroom, don't wake me up," Squall reprimanded with a worthy glare that expressed his anger at being led into everything. While he didn't like being dominant, neither did he like being dominated. Seifer seemed to control every aspect of their relationship. Even then, when the ex-knight was waiting for his consent, it was simply a formality because there was no way he could refuse.

"It's a little late for that now," the blond placated with uneven breaths. Grinning arrogantly, he pointed out, "You seem to want it just as much as I do now."

"Bastard," Squall hissed as he gave an involuntary buck against the man beneath him. The friction against his own arousal was satisfying, but considering he'd just lost the battle, he was hardly able to enjoy it very much.

"I love you too sweetheart," Seifer announced as he raised himself with some effort and guided his length to push inside Squall.

With a stifled cry at the sharp entry, Squall straightened to sit more comfortably. He took several deep breaths, his senses completely woken at the feel of the hard length filling him. Eyes closed, he concentrated on keeping his wits about him.

Without being prompted, Squall admitted his defeat in the matter by rising up on bent knees and driving back down. Repeating the action, he began the slow rhythm of impaling himself on Seifer's cock. Hands firmly planted against the blond's hard abs, he worked to find some control over the act and not carry on in mindless bliss.

"Fucking Hyne," Seifer cursed as Squall rode him.

Frowning, Squall abruptly ceased his movements. Pulling off, he mumbled something to himself before glaring at the blond knight. "You wake me up and expect me to do all the work?" he bit out tersely. Shifting on the narrow bed, he knelt beside Seifer before leaning down. "You wanna fuck me, then fuck me."

Growling out his complaint, Seifer wasted no time in complying with the brunet's wishes. "Were you always this grouchy when you didn't have enough sleep?" he questioned as he settled in behind the prostrated ass.

With returned bliss, Seifer nudged his cock back in. Sliding into that tight heat once more, he groaned loudly as he pulled out a bit and slammed back in.

Biting his lip, Squall refused to vocalize just how good it felt. For some reason, he felt particularly adamant about not falling apart completely. Perhaps it was Shiva's words about being weak against Seifer and his own agreement with such a sentiment as love making him soft. He didn't want to be soft or weak, and refused to express the fullness of his pleasure after being woken and pushed into having sex.

"Don't hold it in kitten, let me hear you," Seifer urged as he continued to thrust with audible slaps.

As if in response, a muffled moan escaped Squall's lips. His anger flared at the idea that he could be commanded to easily. Before he could sink his teeth into the soft flesh of his lip, a calloused hand fisted his erection and pumped.

"Ahh." Squall was helpless against the sounds that refused to be subdued. It was too much, and he was too weak. "Harder," he managed to say, hating how his tone was more pleading than demanding. It was shameful, but he couldn't exactly reflect on it until later.

"Anything you say," the blond returned before roughly speeding up the frenzied thrusts.

Seifer's words barely registered in Squall's mind, but when they did, he felt slightly comforted by them. Seifer was just as weak against him, which left the pair of them struggling to please each other without losing themselves in the process. It was hopeless to try and remain as stubborn and controlled as always, when on some level Seifer had always caused him to break down. Whether it was showing his anger when they were kids or moaning wantonly as he was being driven to the edge of ecstasy, it all involved Seifer forcing his grip to loosen on rationality and poise.

"More," Squall urged with backwards thrusting. It truly was a wonder that he managed to reject Seifer's crackpot ideas of staying locked up within the apartment and do nothing but have sex for days at a time.

"Come for me," Seifer purred as he leaned over and conformed against the body he wildly thrust into. Fisting Squall's erection, he encouraged the younger man to come first. His thumb swiped at the mushroomed head, the moistened feel of precum indicating how far along the brunet was.

"Ahhn, Hyne, there!" Squall cried out with a following mixture of incoherent noises that expressed his pleasure. Seifer was repeatedly striking against him in just the right place that unraveled his tightly knit composure.

With increased enthusiasm, Seifer sought to drive Squall as far as possible, pushing the boundaries with how much physical pleasure a single person could take. He knew he was falling short of his usual attempts. Hours of foreplay served greatly to bring Squall close to madness with the need for that final push, and here he was simply fucking the brunet senseless. There was a certain aspect about both ways that confused him as to which one Squall liked more, so he couldn't say for certain that fast and rough wasn't just as maddening for the former Commander as slow and sensual.

Grinding without restraint, Seifer felt his world tilt as his name was called out and his hand was coated in warm release. He felt light headed right before his cock jerked in orgasm. As spiking pleasure ran through his body, he pushed as deeply as he could go into that tight ass, until his spurting organ was entirely buried.

With gasping breaths, the tanned knight remained posed for several extra moments. He retracted the hand coated with Squall's release and reached down to curiously touch their joining. He pulled out just a little to better feel his own organ and the entrance it was still settled in.

The heat created by both friction and aroused status was surprising, making the blond wonder why it didn't hurt on some level. As his length softened, he probed Squall's stretched hole, fingering it with his cock imbedded at the same time.

"What are you doing?" Squall asked with a slight air of breathlessness.

"Can you feel me inside?" Seifer questioned without explanation for the question that had been directed to him.

Squall gave a small wriggle of discontent. "No," he answered with a clipping note of sarcasm. Of course he could feel Seifer, it was hard to miss the feel of an engorged penis inside his anus. What sort of anesthetized fool would he have to be to not feel it?

"How deep do I reach?" Seifer followed up in a husky voice, unfazed by the uncooperative response he'd received. Squall had never been his morning sunshine, and given the circumstances they were now in, he couldn't expect anything but a sulking attitude for the rest of the day. Still, he wanted the share in the brunet's pleasure, to know what he made Squall feel, to hear Squall put it into words.

Hesitant in his reply, Squall frowned in confusion. Uncertain where the blond was going with it, he stated, "The length of your penis when it's erect."

Green eyes blinked for a disbelieving moment. After mentally confirming that he had indeed heard correctly, he broke out into laughter. It was deep, rumbling laughter. Nearly falling over in his fit of amusement, he wrapped his arms around the lithe body he was still inside of.

Pressing his weight against the pale beauty, he wasn't surprised when Squall collapsed with a stifled sound of annoyance and pain. The brunet's ass was no doubt rather sore, which in turn caused flaring pain along a lower back and general nether regions.

Kissing the back of a slender neck, he murmured, "You're too precious kitten." His laughter continued. Only Squall would have answered his question in such a blunt and face value manner.

"The length of my dick," the blond knight said aloud with a mock tone of indifference that was ruined by his continued laughter.

Blushing slightly, Squall tried to squirm out from beneath the firm weight of the muscled body. What the hell else was he supposed to have answered with?

"Come here," Seifer managed to say as he rolled onto his side and pulled the escaping kitten close. "That was priceless Squally-boy."

Offended, Squall scowled. His glare was all he needed to express his annoyance.

Shaking his head to refute the idea that he was laughing at Squall, Seifer assured, "It was just cute, that's all."

Pushing away, Squall attempted to leave the ex-knight's hold. As usual, it proved futile.

"Honestly," Seifer placated. "I wasn't expecting such a serious answer, it threw me off, I swear."

"I need to clean up," the struggling brunet spoke coldly, refusing to make eye contact while he grappled against insistent arms.

"Don't leave me when you're angry like this. I wasn't laughing at you, I promise."

"Seifer, just let go," Squall requested testily.

"Not until you say you understand."

"Well, I don't understand. One second you're asking me weird things and the next you're laughing because I tried to give you an answer."

"Calm down kitten, I didn't mean any harm," Seifer soothed as he placed gentle kisses along an elegant shoulder. Nipping lightly at the juncture nearer the neck, he whispered, "You surprise me sometimes, and it was too adorable."

Grumbling incoherently, Squall expressed his displeasure at being patronized. He wasn't some child to be held and calmed down from a tantrum. Still, he relaxed into the hold and let the wandering lips carry on.

"It's still too early. Let's go back to bed and sleep in. We don't have to leave at the crack of dawn, especially when no one will be up before noon to send us off." Most everyone beside himself and Squall had consumed quite a bit of alcohol at the short notice farewell party the evening before.

"I need to clean up," Squall protested. When the ex-knight still seemed unwilling to relinquish the hold, he admonished, "It's uncomfortable to sleep when I have cum inside me."

Whining in exaggerated complaint, Seifer let the lithe body go. His pouting became a bit more real when Squall seemed to immediately scamper away, all too quickly for his own ease of mind. "Hurry back," he muttered at the retreating form.

With a yawn, he haphazardly reached to the floor for a discarded shirt. Wiping his hand and softened penis clean, he then flopped back to the bed and waited. It was a good fuck despite the odd hour and following scuffle. He was used to accidentally provoking Squall, not to mention dealing with the sulking fury sent his way each time. There was no taming the lion, but that would take all the fun out of it anyway.

TBC…

A/N Wow, this chapter just dragged on. Sometimes I'll plan what I wanna have happen out a head of time, and let me tell you, there was a hell of a lot more that was supposed to have gone on. I only managed two out of about five events before I ran into time and length issues. I guess their departure shall be further delayed.

And for anyone curious about the other characters, such as Rui, who seemed to have disappeared, just remember that his last appearance was technically around four days ago. Not to mention, it isn't exactly standard protocol for first year cadets to go around schmoozing with higher-ranking officers. (Besides, he's totally hiding from Selphie.) I haven't just dropped him, but remember that the character interactions I write are only small portions of what you can just assume happens throughout the day. Since I last wrote about some characters, it's safe to assume that they were running around doing whatever without needing to have a quick cameo.

Okay, long author's note, I apologize. This isn't the place to reply to reviews, but there was one in particular that I wanted to give response to and the person wasn't logged in or registered on RkoCena, thank you for your review. You obviously felt very strongly about my story to have written such a long review and given such an analysis on the characters. I'm always pleased to receive support and constructive criticism. I understand that not everyone likes the way I've written Irvine and Selphie. Selphie is insanely extreme at moments, sometimes inexplicably so. And while I must disagree with the idea that I've written Irvine as too big a lecher, I can understand how you might feel that way. I'd like for you to take a few things into consideration, perhaps some things that aren't obvious, but which I did intend to be contributing factors into the character development of these two in particular.

Selphie can be annoying at times, as all characters can be. However, during most of her appearances, she's been quite troubled. Consider that she was in love with Irvine, who she knew was eyeing one of her best friends. It was a very awkward situation for her that forced her to focus further on Squall. She was already psyched that Squall found someone to care about, but then she became a little obsessive because she knew Irvine had become a little obsessive.

Irvine is hardly a slut or whore in this story. Aside from Selphie and Squall, he hasn't even looked at anyone else in a serious lusting manner. For a total of two people to have his eyes on, I'd hardly consider that being too much of a lecher. By the time I started working on his character, I already had him to the point of becoming a one-woman sort of guy. If your argument is with the fact that I call him a lecher and talk up his background as a playboy, instead of serious and levelheaded, then I'm afraid I'm lost. So far as I know from playing the game about five times, he is a lecher. He was totally ogling girls all the time, not to mention offering the use of his porn magazine to Squall (oh how I laughed at that part.) Also, in the game, he wasn't actually as level headed and composed as he appeared to be. It was all a front to cover up the nervous anxiety he felt when too much pressure was put on him.

The split is fast, but that's the point. Consider Selphie's feelings of discontent as the general feelings of everyone else. It was nice being together, and in a sort of denial, none of them considered the possibility of splitting up until it was upon them. The transition period is basically a process that will happen over the remainder of the break. Classes aren't in session, it's the holidays. It's the perfect time for a change in leadership, at the dawn of a new semester.

Okay, I'm really sorry for such a gigantic author's note. Never again, I promise.


	34. Chapter 34

Chapter Thirty-Four

A Speedy Farewell

Together in the cafeteria, the group of Garden members gathered for a final meal before splitting. It took three long tables placed together to accommodate the group of twelve. Placed center stage despite Squall's hatred of it, the room was unusually crowded considering many of the cadets were on vacation.

Though refusing to give a farewell speech, Squall was resigned to accepting every want for a handshake and bid of good luck in all his future endeavors. Quistis seemed rather pleased with herself every time a group of cadets approached to say goodbye to Squall. It was also rather amusing that they came in groups, too afraid to approach the former Commander individually.

As a late arriving guest, Rinoa sought Squall out to practically kowtow in apology for her father. Having had another falling out with the General, she was all too pleased to be seen smiling brightly at the reporter's snapshot of the motley crew dining together, supporting the side her father was against.

Shortly after escorting the single reporter off Garden grounds, Raijin returned with tears brimming in his eyes. Practically falling atop Seifer, it took both the pushing of the displeased ex-knight and the pulling of Fujin to remove the muscleman.

Though any lunch shouldn't have taken more than an hour, the hustle and bustle of the dining hall only seemed to increase as time carried on. The general mood among the large group of friends became subdued, everyone seeming to have taxed their own moments of showing either excitement or sadness.

With a mixed expression between jealousy and superiority, Seifer stared into the yellow eyes of Squall's pet cat. He held the creature up by its scruff, becoming increasingly upset by the fact that it simply hung as if comfortable in his hold. "Your cat is mocking me," Seifer muttered when the feline continued to show no discomfort, as if he weren't the least bit intimidating.

"Put him down," Squall chastised before turning his attention back to Selphie.

"It wants something," Seifer said again, demanding Squall's attention for even the most ridiculous reasons.

Sighing, Squall finally gave in and focused his attention on the blond. Turning in his seat, he explained, "Set him in your lap and pet him."

Holding obvious distain for getting cat hair on his either his white dress shirt or black pants, he moved his arm about slowly, watching the lazy sway of the cat go with it. "Well what's the point in that? Why do you even have a cat? He's never around anyway, let's leave him." This wasn't the first time he'd made the point, but he felt the need to make it again, and to continue reiterating until Squall admitted to not really liking the creature.

"No!" Selphie cried in outrage. "You can't leave that cute kitten here."

"Tilmitt," Seifer grumbled as he set the fur ball in his lap like instructed. "I'm taking the cute kitten with me. What I'm suggesting is leaving this flee bitten hairball with legs behind."

Bright green eyes narrowed as Selphie huffed and crossed her arms. Gabriel was like a pet to them all, always being traded off depending on whom the little critter scampered off to. "You're just jealous because Squall loves Gabriel more," she accused, breaking into a fit of giggles seconds later at the sour expression that crossed Seifer's face.

"I can take him," Rinoa interjected from several seats away. "Though, he's never liked me much, or Angelo. But I don't mind if it's too troublesome to take him with you." She had been the one to pick the stray cat up off the streets of Timber. Considering she'd saved the animal from a tomcat life of starvation, she'd been a little put off to discover Gabriel much preferred the distant Commander who rarely offered so much as a scratch behind the ears.

"Gabriel would be sad without his master," Selphie said. Sticking her lower lip out in a pouting plead, she clasped her hands together and turned her watery gaze on the former Commander.

Rolling his eyes, Squall looked away. He'd already made up his mind, so there was no need for further debate. Recently he hadn't exactly played host to the black furred feline, not when Seifer occupied his bed each night. Before the blond's return, Gabriel had been around almost everyday, always sleeping on his bed on the rare occasions that he'd return to his apartment for the night.

"Gabriel stays here," Squall said evenly. With a small frown, he shifted his chair so that his legs weren't under the table so much. Gratefully accepting the room, the cat finally made the change from Seifer's lap to his.

"Well, Greta loves him, so no worries baby," Zell assured with a sharp toothed grin.

Nodding his appreciation, Squall was surprised to feel some relief in the matter, never really believing he held any attachments for the animal. Truthfully, Gabriel had been a welcome presence. Since Seifer's return, he supposed the feline understood that he no longer needed a pet for company, thus the continued absence.

"Fucking fur ball," the blond cursed as he sucked on a scratched finger. "I'm telling you that thing hates me."

Squall scoffed at the idea. Although, Seifer had technically taken up the cat's favorite haunting spots in his bed, which could certainly arouse territorial anger. However, Seifer was often an ass and the only violent tendencies Gabriel had were towards intruders and annoying ex-sorceress' knights. There really was no surprise.

With a hand resting on the soft stomach of the curled up creature, Squall glanced down at a smitten cat. The vibrating purrs he felt were contradicting of the thin scratch in Seifer's finger. "Don't poke him and he won't scratch you," he muttered with a small smirk at the knight's confrontational nature.

"So we're all set then, for our transfers and everything?" Selphie said lightly.

Pinching the bridge of his nose, Squall finished saying what he was discussing with the copper haired woman before Seifer interrupted. "Rui is not transferring with you."

"But why?" the energetic pilot immediately protested.

"Darlin', start counting your blessings and leave it alone," Irvine drawled from his place next to his girlfriend, both of them directly across from Seifer and Squall. His hand mysteriously slipping beneath, a strangled yelp escaped the cheerful woman before a light blush came to her cheeks.

Out of sight, out of mind was exactly what Irvine needed when it came to Squall. Trabia was calling to him, with cold nights that required body heat and an energetic woman to meet his insatiable urges.

"He's important to the new curriculum," Quistis stated, expressing her support of Squall's denial about the third transfer.

Realizing defeat for the first time, Selphie let the matter go. It had been a long shot anyway. Sniffing, she leaned forward to better stare down the row of tables they'd placed together. "Sorry Rui, looks like no more festival planning together."

White as a sheet and his fingers crossed beneath the table, the dark haired boy slouched in his chair. "What a shame," he muttered in return. The idea of going to Trabia had him tied up in a nervous knot since the bouncy pilot first mentioned it. All that snow and being around instructor Tilmitt all the time, it was a nightmare he'd luckily avoided. A nice woman to be sure, Selphie Tilmitt was one person he could only take in small quantities.

Irvine chuckled at the boy's reaction, knowing his little masochist could be a handful. Turning his focus onto Squall, he studied impassive features for a long moment. His hand gave a firm squeeze to his little lady's thigh as his desire for the brunet stirred.

"Zell," Squall said quietly, not needing to speak loudly when the spiky haired blond was at his other side. "Would you mind taking him?"

"Not at all," Zell returned, clenching his fist in a show of confidence.

"I love cats," a thus far silent Greta commented from Zell's other side.

Using the excuse to place his hand near Squall's crotch, Seifer roughly pet the purring ball of fur. "No more table scraps for it, Chicken-wuss. It's gotten fat."

"What'd you call me!" Zell cried, immediately standing from his place and glaring at the ex-knight in challenge.

"Old habits Dincht, you can't kill a man for that," Seifer said calmly, silently wishing he could hang the short boxer up on a nail somewhere, but knowing it would result in at least a week of no sex.

Grumbling angrily, Zell allowed himself to be directed back to his seat by his wife.

"Seifer, stop it," Squall hissed.

"Stop what? I didn't start anything with Ch-Dincht," the blond defended.

Stormy blue eyes narrowed in accusation. "Pet the cat, not me," the brunet bit out in explanation.

"Whoops," Seifer intoned mockingly. "My bad." Before he could dare to stroke the front of Squall's pants again, a swiping paw led to claws raking across the back of his hand. Jerking his hand away, he glared at the playful creature. Though the attack hadn't even broken the skin, he felt rising anger that anything would dare stop him from touching what was his. "Maybe we should take him with us and feed him to the first beastie we find," Seifer suggested.

Squall almost laughed, but managed to school himself in time. In a show of defiance against Seifer's wishes, he reached to the knight's near empty plate and tore a piece of turkey sticking out of a partially eaten sandwich. Feeding it to Gabriel, he couldn't stop quiet laughter at the expression of sheer outrage that came over the handsome blond's features.

-------

"Headmaster Martine is having a ball over this, but he still doesn't know about my support for you," Xu stated with a smile. "I imagine having Zephlar's loyalty will be a surprise as well."

Shifting uncomfortably, struggling to keep his hands from drowning in the sleeves of the borrowed hoodie he wore, Squall nodded his understanding. "There are files that Quistis can give you if you ever need them. It's just a few skeletons in the closet that I used before." He still felt rather ashamed at using such a cheap method as blackmail.

Standing on the train platform, it was only Xu seeing them off. Squall had been stern in his preference that the group didn't come all the way into town. Xu had a few matters to discuss, however, and had offered to drive them.

Having packed lightly considering they weren't just going on vacation for a week or two, Squall and Seifer were going to travel by train under the pretense that the longer trip would give them some time together. In truth, Squall was reluctant to drag the inevitable departure on any longer. The idea of taking Ragnarok to shorten the trip to a mere half hour was not appealing.

The only trouble was the crowd. News had leaked concerning his resignation, but for the sake of keeping wild rumors under control very little publicity had been given. A simple statement had been published; barely two sentences that expressed Squall's wish for stepping down so that he might take time off now that Garden's affairs were squared away.

However, outside of Balamb Garden Squall could hardly control the amount of exposure and number of reporters. A decent crowd gathered near the train station, his itinerary somehow spreading like wildfire.

After being bombarded with questions such as whether or not a forty percent disapproval rating of his relationship had affected his decision to resign, he wasn't exactly in a good mood. He almost wanted to ask where the polls were coming from and why anyone cared enough to establish such percentages, but the guiding presence of Seifer had lead him into and out of the sea of reporters quickly enough for his own sanity. He almost felt nauseous surrounded so freely like that, having rarely experienced it since being Commander meant crowd control.

Seifer was on the train, stashing their luggage away. They had a bit of time before the train was scheduled to leave, but their plan to refresh their item stock was shot down when it meant dealing with the crowd again. So, there was little to do except wait. The platform was free of any persons without tickets, Xu being a special exception that was easily granted.

"To be quite honest, I'm a little nervous to see you go," Xu commented as her predecessor gazed towards the train's open doorway.

Blinking in his confusion, Squall gazed at the dark haired woman. "Nervous?" he spoke in disbelief.

"Consider the title I have to live up to," she returned with a smile, obviously not letting the situation get to her, but still using the last chance to speak her mind.

Shaking his head, Squall crossed his arms and gave a small smile of reassurance. "Don't doubt yourself and listen to the others, and remember there's a choice in everything."

"Oh?" the new Commander lilted playfully. "I've heard stories about you. Listening to Quisty's advice was not your forte."

Scoffing, Squall elaborated, "I said listen, not follow."

Xu just laughed, oddly reassured by the younger man's words. Perhaps it was the simple reminder of having people she needed to listen to, which in turn meant having people to help her if she needed it.

With a frown of reluctance, Squall searched his pockets. Eventually settling for an old gum wrapper crumpled inside the front pocket of Seifer's sweatshirt and a chewed on pen of his, he wrote down a stream of numbers.

Dark brown eyes followed the brunet's movements with curiosity. Accepting the offered wrapper, she glanced at the phone number written.

"It's Seifer's cell number. The odds of reaching me with it are better than any numbers someone gives you to reach me directly."

With an odd weight of cherishing gratitude, the young woman carefully folded the flimsy piece of foil paper and pocketed it. "I feel like this is the end of an era somehow," she stated.

Understanding expressed in his eyes, Squall simply gazed at the woman for a prolonged moment. She was possibly the only person who hadn't expressed great depth of emotion about any of it, aside from initially being elated at becoming Commander. He didn't know her that well, but she'd been his instructor for several of his classes.

"Remember to bring those Guardians back as soon as you find them, or I'll have a mass riot on my hands if you don't visit."

"Leonhart, let's go!" Seifer called out from the entrance of the train.

Saluting to Commander Yashime, Squall turned as hurried over to the beckoning knight.

----------

Cornering a silent brunet, Seifer towered over Squall from behind. Placing his hands on the windowsill, he pressed forward so that there was no place to go. Outside the window was quickly passing scenery, flat plains that were soon going to become churning waters. The sun was setting, but they had no view of it.

"You seemed in a rush," the blond stated, his baritone voice intimidating to anyone who didn't know him well.

Unfazed by Seifer's bullying technique, Squall continued to stare past the cold glass, unmoving even as his personal space was breached. "Teary farewells annoy me," he supplied in explanation.

"I think everyone expected to get at least another day out of you." In truth, Seifer was happy to have left. He was a firm believer in setting a plan and following it, even if it was a very vague plan that didn't even have a set destination. However, it was quite apparent after the farewell party the previous day that Tilmitt and the others were sort of assuming their favorite Commander would hang around for a few days longer.

"They expected that I was going to change my mind," Squall stated firmly. Such a thing would never have happened, but he could see the hope clearly in all their eyes. Even Xu seemed oddly expectant of such a turn of events, as if he could ever strip her title away after giving it.

"A man of your word," the blond commented, neither supporting nor opposing such a quality. He'd known Squall kept his word long ago, never breaking a promise. Similarly, Squall never made a promise that couldn't be kept.

"They'll get over it," Squall added.

Moving his hands to gently grasp narrow shoulders, Seifer massaged away obvious tension. With a broad grin, he whispered, "Because it isn't goodbye forever."

Wide gray-blue eyes stared at the vague reflection of the ex-knight behind him. Scowling moments later, he didn't comment. It was annoying how Seifer could read his thoughts at times, even getting it down to the very same word choice he would have used if he'd chosen to speak aloud.

"We've got this big compartment all to ourselves and at least an hour to kill until we reach FH. What could we possibly do?"

"Talk," Squall suggested with sarcasm.

"Yes, we could talk. Or we could try out the new lube I got, make sure it works properly," the blond hinted as his arms encircled the brunet's smaller frame.

"Sounds good," Squall agreed.

"Eh? Really?" Seifer asked excitedly, not thinking it would have been that easy.

With an affirmative nod, Squall shifted to turn around in the loose embrace, placing his back to the window. "While you do that, I'll finish researching the Island Closest to Heaven."

Brows drawn as if in agony, Seifer questioned, "What?"

Impassively, Squall informed, "The bathroom should be at the other end of the train."

Unamused, Seifer glowered at his joking partner. "Bad kittens get spanked," he announced with a satisfied grin at the look of sudden alarm on Squall's face.

Not even given the chance to protest, Squall found his world turned upside down as he was hefted onto a broad shoulder. Though determined to set his foot down and kindly explain to the knight that any form of spanking would lead to an untimely death, he was beaten to the punch line as a firm hand suddenly came down on his conveniently displayed backside.

Blushing furiously, Squall gave an angry growl. "Put me the hell down you idiot," he hissed. His words were only met with another slap. There was an awkward moment of uncertainty for the brunet when he realized Seifer was actually hitting fairly hard, a slight sting felt even through denim jeans. It didn't hurt, he just couldn't tell how adamant Seifer was being or whether he should just let the blond have his fun.

"Your lack of struggling leads me to believe you're enjoying it," Seifer stated, bringing his hand down once more on the younger man's luscious ass. "Shall I do this properly?" he questioned, entirely elated at the prospect of exposing Squall's firm cheeks and taking him over his knee.

Pushed to the brink, Squall reached a hand around to his back and snuck it beneath the baggy hoodie. Once armed, he held his trusty dagger against the ex-knight's side, the tip dangerously nudging against the blond's ribs.

Disheartened, Seifer sighed. "Okay, I'll save the kinky punishment for my next birthday."

"That would be wise," Squall hissed, hardly caring if his words didn't squash out any possibility of the knight's so called kinky punishment.

Once placed back on his feet, Squall stalked away without another word, distancing himself as much as possible. Taking a moment to replace the dagger, finding it was more difficult to button the small clasp on the leather sheath than to undo it, he eventually settled in the booth like seating area. He had his laptop resting there, quickly turning it on and losing himself in more research.

Patiently, Seifer observed his sullen kitten. He was more amused than ever, finding the snubbing air to be exactly how a pet or child would act after being punished. He made a silent vow to exact various forms of mild torture and train Squall to love it. He doubted he'd be able to work his way up to spanking in any less than ten years, but he felt certain that if he were subtle about it, he could still encourage quite a lot.

Straightening from his slouch near the window, Seifer sauntered over to the moody brunet. Despite the obvious restrictions against touching, he sidled up beside Squall instead of across from. He was about to attempt the impossible.

If Seifer insisted on being physical regardless of any outstanding argument, he was confident Squall would give in. However, it would only be physical, which was why he generally made peace first. This time he was attempting to sway Squall completely, though he was realistically expecting to wind up with a broken nose for it.

Slow and steady was the way to go in such situations. Feigning interest in the never ending pages about Guardian Forces, he scooted as close as possible and casually draped an arm around the back of the seat. He noted the slight twitch of annoyance from Squall, but manned his position when no weapons were drawn.

Seifer would have liked to known the brunet was armed in the first place. He hadn't thought there was a place for that stashed dagger without the tight strapping belts that Squall wore with the leather pants. For future reference, he placed the sheath to be somewhere on the younger man's torso. It was the damn hoodie that kept him from feeling it, his favorite grey hoodie to be exact. While it looked damn sexy on Squall with all that excess material, boosting his own ego with the fact that he was larger, it consequently kept him from feeling the lithe body beneath.

Conscious of the amount of time the train ride would take, Seifer calmly read along about various urban legends that were some of the most ridiculous stories he'd ever read. Aside from barely containing his laughter several times, he had to stifle his yawns at other parts.

After a painstaking half hour of good behavior, Seifer was confident he could move on. No longer tense at his close proximity, Squall was even subtly leaning into his half embrace.

Waiting for the right opportunity, he shifted to lean forward and take charge of scrolling, feeling confident the brunet would have done it only seconds after anyway. As he settled back, he let his extended arm move so that his fingers could gently play with Squall's hair.

Unable to ignore the odd behavior, Squall cast a warning glare, but found nothing in Seifer's profiled expression that betrayed any ulterior motive. Jade green eyes were focused on the screen, moving very subtly back and forth along with the text. Lips pressed tightly together, he turned back and swallowed his annoyance over Seifer not annoying him as expected.

Though suspicious, Squall found it was easy to allow the blond to continue. Seifer's odd play of gently slipping lengthy strands of his hair between his fingers felt sort of nice. It wasn't until the ex-knight's fingers brushed over his ear that he understood. The small shiver that ran through him was evidence enough that his body was wholly responsive.

Frowning, he glared to the side once more, angered further by the seemingly unaware expression of concentration. Slipping away, thankful that the seat curved around in a semi circle, Squall kept going until he was opposite Seifer. Standing, he muttered something about the bathroom before leaving.

Seifer waited until the door was shut before cursing. It had been a valiant attempt, even if he'd crashed and burned. Number two on the list of forbidden actions was spanking Squall's ass without permission, right below wrestling Squall into wearing high heals, which he'd thankfully known not to try.

TBC…


	35. Chapter 35

Chapter Thirty-Five

Strings Attached Tie Into Knots

Overzealous as always, Laguna practically tackled his son to the ground, which was far less forgiving than water. Releasing his son, he turned his common place greeting on the tall ex-knight.

Meeting in the President's office, the three men took their seats, only set on remaining shortly before traveling further. It was well known that Squall was hardly one to make small talk, so the young fighters knew the older man had something to discuss that was of importance.

"I'm glad you came to see me," the President said, his hazel green eyes alight with joy.

"We were passing through," Seifer muttered in excuse.

Smiling, Laguna gazed at his son. "There was a bill brought up in Parliament recently. It's always been a touchy subject in Esthar, but I couldn't help myself."

The door to the office opened suddenly, an obviously angry Kiros stalking in. "Laguna, this is not a legitimate reason to take such a firm stance."

"Don't be silly," the longhaired man returned. "It's a perfectly fine reason."

"Hyne help you," the dark skinned advisor muttered in exasperation. "Think with your head, not your heart."

"I wouldn't know how," Laguna affirmed with a grin.

"Right, we'll just sit here while you two have it out then?" Seifer commented impatiently. They really didn't have much time to spare and he was quite anxious to be in the middle of nowhere with Squall.

"Squall, if you want it… I mean, if you'd like to," Laguna began, blushing slightly while he tried to speak without smiling so much. "I legalized gay marriages."

Uncertain he'd heard correctly, Squall stared unmoving for a long moment. Sensing the stillness of the room, an atmosphere that spoke to affirm the sudden declaration, he felt growing trepidation at his misinterpreted love for Seifer. Though completely in love with the arrogant bully, marriage was hardly on his mind.

Pinching the bridge of his nose, Squall fought a groan of annoyance, knowing that his father only ever meant well. Glancing up, he gave a forced smile as those earnest eyes seemed to search for a better reaction.

"How much trouble did you get in to do this?" the former Commander questioned, not certain he wanted to know.

"None really," Laguna assured, waving his hand animatedly to reaffirm his words.

"None?" Kiros scoffed. "It was split down the middle. Half of Parliament is now complaining."

"Well, the other half would have if I'd decided the other way, so it's all the same," the President pointed out with a huff.

"No, it isn't the same. If you'd vetoed the bill, Esthar's policy wouldn't have changed."

"And Squall wouldn't be able to get married," Laguna protested.

Squall felt slightly ill, hating to point out that he hadn't considered getting married in the first place.

"When can we tie the knot?" Seifer voiced in question, bringing all further argument to a halt.

"What?" Squall hissed incredulously, staring at the handsome blond in utter disbelief.

Unable to hide all his excitement, Seifer smirked. "One of has to wear a dress, and then there's the mandatory taking of the virgin bride on the wedding night. It's sounds like a fucking blast."

Cheeks blushing slightly, Squall fought the urge to point out he would hardly have been a virgin bride. "No," he said evenly. Refusing to argue, he slowly stood up and walked away. Before he could leave however, he turned back and looked at the slightly crestfallen eyes of his father. "Thank you, but no."

Muttering darkly under his breath, Seifer stood up. As his kitten left, he round the President's desk and offered his hand to the man he was now determined to make his father-in-law. "He's shy. Give me some time and we'll definitely take you up on the offer." With a confident smirk, he winked. "Your son is impossible at times."

Laguna shook the hand, feeling slightly reassured by the confidence the steadfast blond seemed to exude. Still, he was quite worried that he'd crossed the line finally. "Does he hate me now?" he questioned solemnly, looking to Seifer for the answer since it had become quite clear that the former knight knew his son best.

Laughing at the idea, Seifer shook his head. "Squally-boy couldn't hate you if he wanted to. Like I said, he's just shy. Next time just slip me a note and I'll break the news."

Leaving it at that, Seifer hurried to catch up, not entirely positive that his kitten wouldn't leave without him. At the door, he cast a final glance back, seeing obvious disappointment in the President. It was a bit extreme, but the poor sap was only trying to make his stubborn princess happy. "Loire," he called out.

Downtrodden hazel green eyes glanced up as if expecting some miracle. Kiros stood beside him with a frowning face that seemed to say such a reaction from Squall had been completely predictable.

"He loves you. He just can't say it." As an after thought, he added, "But he'll always love me more."

--------

Panting heavily, Seifer sheathed his gunblade and wiped the sweat off his brow. "I'm surprised the beasties can track us," he commented with a glance behind.

"They don't all go by scent," Squall said evenly. "Besides, just following the river like this doesn't clean our scent from the air completely."

"And where exactly do you expect to lodge tonight? I won't stand for a damn Torama interrupting when we're fucking."

Ignoring the nonsensical idea of having sex while camping, Squall explained, "We should reach the village by nightfall."

"Do you know how to read a map?" Seifer questioned. "Let me take a look at it."

"Seifer," Squall bit out. "Just shut up and keep walking."

Grumbling to himself, Seifer eventually fell silent as his eyes settled on Squall's ass once more. He was more than happy to let the brunet take the lead when it meant watching those swaying hips and the shifting of leather-clad cheeks. It was a torturous pleasure.

The Island Closest to Heaven was a very peculiar place. It wasn't actually an island at all. Though more like a peninsula, it would be an island in a matter of years, or perhaps decades. Jutting out from the plate Esthar was on, the land still clutched like a reluctant child to a parent with bridging conduits of dry rock. The fast change of climates caused a violent churning of the salty seas that had eroded the waning area connecting Esthar and the so-called island.

Having taken a land roving jeep as far as they could, traveling by foot was the only option when the thick forest appeared. Between the steady incline they'd been hiking up for the past four hours and the near constant encounter with monsters, Seifer was receiving the best work he'd had in years.

"So, what sort of village are we talking about? Are they going to start banging drums near a bonfire as they roast for dinner or are they Estharians?"

Squall stopped completely and leveled the blond haired fighter with a disbelieving gaze.

Seifer stood his ground under the 'you're asking this now?' gaze. "I'm just following you kitten, the details were never important."

Rolling his eyes, Squall turned back and continued walking slightly faster than before. "They're not a part of Esthar and neither are they cannibals," the brunet threw over his shoulder.

"Good to know," Seifer stated, eyes once again fixed on his prized conquest.

It wasn't very much longer before the ex-knight's lewd thoughts and taunting eye candy had him walking with a bit of a painful stride, the ache between his legs hindering free movement. It was difficult to simply will it away because he couldn't ignore it, which meant his thoughts began to become entirely focused on his growing arousal and how much he wanted to be buried inside Squall.

"Maybe we should take a break, wash up in the water, you know freshen up before meeting the locals," the blond suggested.

Rolling his eyes, Squall spoke, "Maybe have a quickie?"

"If the opportunity arises."

Squall almost laughed. Seifer didn't wait for the opportunities to arise. The sexually charged knight created the opportunities on a near constant basis. "We're down river with a town only a few miles ahead. I wouldn't consider it a very nice place to have sex."

Cringing at Squall's informative tidbits, Seifer grumbled his complaint about having to deal with a hard on while hiking.

With little less than a couple miles to go, Squall took pity on his lover, knowing full well the predicament the blond was in. Spotting a decent place for a quick rest, finding he too was feeling the protest of overworked muscles, he slowed once reaching a small clearing with a few rocks that would serve well for sitting.

Shifting his large pack off his shoulders and setting it on the ground, Squall signaled that they'd take a break.

Exhaling deeply as he settled down on a hard rock, Seifer scanned their surroundings with contentment. There were trees everywhere, the scent of pinesap in the crisp air. It was slightly chilly, but not so much that there was snow on the ground and certainly not noticeable when he was sweating with exertion. Though they were steadily heading north and their elevation increasing, the ever-studious brunet said they wouldn't be encountering winter weather since it was summer in the area.

Squall drank some water, not having realized how dry his mouth was. When he tried to hand his bottle off, he found his wrist grabbed by the blond's large hand. Pulled in and thrown off balance, he collided with Seifer's solid chest. Dry lips were upon his, the warmth of the knight's tongue quickly seeking entrance.

With a sigh of contentment, Squall welcomed the intrusion and closed his eyes as the kiss overtook his senses. His hands roamed the firmly muscled body he was pressed against. They were both rather sweaty and overheated, but that was hardly cause for forgoing the pleasures of bodily contact.

Seifer hummed into the kiss, a wide grin calling his roving tongue to a standstill. "Do you know what you're doing kitten?" he questioned at the feel of wandering hands, one gently rubbing his half erection to full arousal.

"Helping," the brunet answered, breaking away with a final lick to now slick lips and slowly going down on his knees.

"So you say," Seifer hissed out as his hardened length was released from his pants, immediately shying from the cold air but heated once more by tentative fingers.

Stroking Seifer's engorged penis several times, until he was assured it wasn't just at half-mast, Squall leaned in to finish the job with his mouth. The sudden fisting of his hair was unexpected. Glancing up at the blond, he tugged away from the hold with a questioning look.

Painfully aware that pout lips had been mere seconds from touching his needy organ, Seifer shook his head. "We've been hiking all day. I'm a sweaty mess. Just use your hand and we can do more after we've had a nice shower."

Rolling his eyes, Squall pulled away from the now loose grasp of his hair. Leaning in once more, he didn't hesitated to trail his tongue over the reddened head, lapping at the slit.

Trembling at the unexpected pleasure, Seifer felt all further protest leave him. Fuck, he loved Squall beyond words. His control began to slip as his cock was skillfully enveloped in wet heat and fondling fingers pushed his pants open further to massage his balls. Legs spreading to accommodate his new lord and master, Seifer let the pleasure wash over him.

The musky scent was practically tangible, joined quickly by the bitter tang of precum. Completely drawn into the act, Squall released the throbbing member from his mouth. Nuzzling the course thatch of hairs at the base of Seifer's cock, he laved his tongue around the underside of the pulsing organ. He let the sound of Seifer's groans guide his progress, speeding things up when needy hands gripped his hair and then easing off in the teasing manner Seifer so loved to use during sex.

"Sweet Hyne," Seifer muttered, tossing his head back and sinking down further, threatening to fall right off his uncomfortable perch.

Deciding to render the blond completely incoherent, Squall once again took the length into his mouth. Flexing the skills he was still developing, he slowly guided the heated organ as far as he could let it go, and then he pushed himself to let it slide just a bit further. With the leaking tip firmly rubbing the back of his throat, he swallowed, grateful that his control over his gag reflex did increase with practice.

"Fuck, Squall," Seifer grunted out, eyes scrunched shut as he desperately fought the urge to begin thrusting in and out of the that wet heat that so sweetly stimulated him.

Trading off the occasional deep-throated swallow and hard sucking as he bobbed up and down, Squall rushed Seifer towards ecstasy. With a growl that sounded like an attempt at calling out his name, Squall was warned just before hot seed filled his mouth.

Pulling off a bit, Squall used his hand to stroke the ejaculating organ while his lips surrounded the mushroomed head and drank the bitter fluid as if a sweet treat, not wanting to waste a single drop.

Breaths uneven, Seifer remained tensed up as the unmatchable pleasure that only Squall gave him flowed through his body. When his lapping kitten continued to lick his softening length clean, he ran his fingers through mussed hair he'd been gripping tightly. Before he could warn the brunet that too much cleaning would just cause him to become aroused once more, the wet appendage ceased its caring ministrations. Once tucked away, pants zipped back up as if his raging hard on hadn't been poking out shortly before, Seifer slid down to the softer earth.

Squall allowed himself to be drawn into the ex-knight's embrace, returning the tender kiss that was given.

"I love you so much," the blond whispered huskily, ending the kiss so that he might draw Squall in even closer to his body.

Chuckling softly, Squall commented, "I must be getting better."

"Hyne no," Seifer murmured. Immediately realizing how his words could be mistaken, he corrected, "I mean, yes. But that's not why I love you. I love that about you, fuck I really love that about you. But it's so much more."

"I know," Squall assured, resting his head against a broad shoulder. "I love you."

Arms tightening, Seifer gently nuzzled the smaller man's neck. "Keep saying it," he urged with the selfish insatiability to hear those words repeatedly.

Smiling secretly while Seifer couldn't see, Squall spoke once more, "I love you."

"More," Seifer urged a deeper tone of lust.

"I love you."

Finding that it was a milestone to hear the repetition thrice in such short order, Seifer pulled back and laid claim on enticing lips. He could taste the flavor of his release within Squall's mouth. His hands groped along the brunet's lithe back, running down to knead the ass he'd been ogling hours at a time.

Breaking away, Squall warned, "Too much, not here." Anymore heated touches and he'd need to find his release as well.

With a groan of protest, Seifer released the warm body in his hold. "I can return the favor," he offered.

Shaking his head, Squall found the discarded water bottle. Sloshing the liquid inside, he determined how much was left before holding it out for the blond to take.

"Marry me," Seifer requested as he took the bottle from a delicate hand.

"Seifer, we've been over this," Squall replied. Straightening, he turned away to retrieve his pack.

Not letting the brunet retreat, Seifer cast the water away and moved to close the distance. Roughly, he turned the smaller man around to face him. "I know what we've been over, but I'm still asking you to marry me."

"Seifer," Squall spoke in protest, trying to shrug the hold off. The idea of marriage was ludicrous. They'd been seeing each other for only a few months. Apart from moving too fast, he found the idea of marriage to be pointless. They already slept together and lived together. They were devoted to only each other and planned on staying together indefinitely. What would be the point of some elaborate ceremony?

"Why doesn't it mean anything? I can tell you're not being honest with me," Seifer said, demanding an answer as he kept his hold.

"A lack of meaning is the reason," Squall stated, finally managing to break away. "It'll be dark soon, let's go."

"This isn't over," Seifer grumbled.

---------

Yeril was a small town on the Island Closest to Heaven. Primarily interdependent, it was known to have relations with both the Shumi and former Trabia Garden. Given that it wasn't the sort of place to make news headlines, there wasn't much known about the people or the town.

Most of what Squall had learned was from what Laguna had sent him. Esthar was far more knowledgeable about the place given that it was practically a neighbor.

Making their way back from the market, toting a bag of some fruit that Seifer fell in love with, Squall ran over every instance of supposed Guardian Force meddling in his head. There really was no bearing when traveling off to find the spirit like creatures, but Yeril had seemed like the best bet.

Headed back to the inn that they'd already checked into and left their baggage at, the couple walked slowly. The walk around town was just to get a feel for the place and map it out for memory. There was no telling how long they'd be staying.

The streets weren't paved, but were smooth and worn dirt. All the buildings were small scale, nothing more than three stories. Given the natural resource the forests provided, almost everything was made of wood, the scent of pine everywhere.

Beyond Yeril, continuing northward was Mt. Yeril. Though a small mountain compared to the range that surrounded Trabia, the caps always brought a rush of spring water during that time of year, making the flow of the river dangerous at certain intervals. Squall suspected that any trade routes detoured around the base of the rocky and likely snowy landmass.

The locals seemed friendly enough, but Squall was hardly willing to make any new friends and had turned down every offer for tours, dinners, and quick cups of tea. Now, they were trying to get back before the last bit of sunlight left the western skyline. The cold air indicated that camping would not be fun even in the warmest season.

As Seifer snuck another of the oval shaped fruit, firmly textured like a pear on the outside while reddened the color of a grapefruit inside, Squall scowled. "You know that's Chocobo food."

Taking another bite of the juicy treat, Seifer smirked. "Those birds never had it so good," he commented, holding his half eaten fruit before the sulking brunet's mouth. "Go on," he encouraged.

Finding the knight incorrigible, Squall took a small bite, scowling despite the pleasant taste.

"Do you have something against Chocobos?" Seifer questioned. His keen observations told him the constant scowling and glaring around anything to do with the yellow birds was a sign of dislike for the creatures.

Sighing, Squall explained, "I didn't know this place had a range of Chocobos."

"Is that a crime now?" the blond pressed, finishing off his snack.

"…"

"Oh, I see," Seifer mocked. "Cats are okay, but birds big enough to kill the fur balls aren't," he said in a noting manner.

Unexpected amusement brought laughter from the brunet, quickly disguised as a cough. "In Winhill, the odd occurrences were all caused by a baby Chocobo. It makes me doubt that we've come to the right place."

"Well, it might not turn out any Guardian Forces, but I don't think it'll be wasted. I for one am pleased that this place has a decent inn. We might consider honeymooning here after we're married."

"…" Squall didn't reply, unable to keep reiterating the same points.

"Let me explain something kitten," Seifer said softly, stopping mid stride and waiting for the brunet to follow suit. Reaching out, he pulled the lithe form close. Carelessly dropping his bag of fruit, he swiftly encircled a slim waist and grasped at thick chocolate colored hair. With the lingering tasted of the Meridian fruit on his tongue, he took care in jerking Squall's head back and roughly kissing the younger man.

Seifer's actual explanation was prolonged as he too became lost in the kiss. Passion and lust pulsed through him as if it were the very essence of his blood. The sweeter flavor was far more preferable than the bitter tang of his seed, but in the end everything was welcome within his carnal desires to ravish Squall.

Squall hadn't anticipated that Seifer was going to carry on to such an extent in the middle of the street, but he was undoubtedly a prisoner of lust in the form of strong arms. Molding into the firm body pressed closely, his fingers found placement in soft strands of blond hair. Stroking his tongue against Seifer's, he was lost as the ex-knight delved mercilessly, seeking to consume him in a sinful manner.

With a groan at ending the exchange just when heavenly notes of pleasure began to sound from his kitten, Seifer pulled back. Dazed eyes of grey-blue, heavy with want, peered at him from behind long lashes. Removing his hand from mussed hair, he stroked a pale cheek and gently rubbed his thumb across pout lips. "Make no mistake, tomorrow or ten years from now, we'll be married."

Groaning at the continued pressing of the matter, Squall let his head fall against the knight's chest. "Eighteen years of a successful presidency will not be ruined by this single bill. Laguna will be fine."

"This has nothing to do with making it worthwhile for your dad," Seifer stated firmly.

"If we're going to argue, it'd be best to do so back in our room."

"Your wish is my command," Seifer returned, stepping back from the warmth and dipping to retrieve his forgotten food. Suddenly feeling deprived of the body he yearned for, he settled an arm around the brunet's waist. His hand rested comfortably on softly curved hip and his thumb neatly hooked beneath band of leather pants.

TBC…

A/N: I realized when writing this chapter that I must end the story soon. It has taken me far longer to write lately because I have to sit there and come up with what's going to happen next. The plot has run it's course already, and I would hate to drag it on and ruin something good. I didn't understand why it was so hard until I was typing away with another Seifer/Squall story I have in the works. It was easy to write that piece because I had a set story I was trying to tell. With Strings Attached, the story has already been told.


	36. Chapter 36

**Warning: Adult content, no kiddies. **

Chapter Thirty-Six

Marital Progress

Passing the check in counter, Seifer and Squall were brought to a halt when the older woman manning the inn called out. Impatience rising in the blond, he plastered on the charming smile that had gotten them a discount in the first place.

"Mr. Almasy," the innkeeper said with a thick accent of clip syllables, rushing to catch the boys before they headed upstairs. "An opening just became available if you two would prefer a room with separate beds. I'd hate to think of you sleeping in a chair or on the floor. I'll have to charge you the extra for it, but in the morning I can promise to make your breakfast extra special." Spoken in a mile a minute pacing, the gray haired woman smiled kindly at the dashing young man.

Smile broadening, Seifer shook his head in refusal. "Thank you Mrs. Fortner, but we prefer to share a bed." Emphasizing his point, he wound his arm around Squall's waist once more and brought the brunet close, stomping out any misinterpretation of his meaning.

"Oh my," the woman exclaimed with a hand pressed to her chest. "Well I see," she mumbled, thinking back on how a request for a double room hadn't even been made. Unsure of what to think, other than that Balamb had a very strange sense of morals, she simply stared at the unusual attraction.

"Thank you all the same," Seifer said, ushering his partner in crime away. He lewdly gave the younger man's ass a quick pinch just for show. He could tell Squall would have preferred to weather a few more minutes of talk with the woman instead of hurrying to the privacy of their room where he would promptly return to the topic of marriage.

"It's not a game," Squall muttered darkly, forcing the embarrassed blush from his cheeks by pressing the back of a cool hand to them. "Be ostentatious with yourself, not me."

"But you're the best part of me," Seifer returned, sneaking a hand beneath the hem of the brunet's thin t-shirt under the bomber jacket. Massaging the sensual curve of Squall's hip, he kept close as he'd done since their walk back.

Hating how Seifer's joking statement caused a flutter in his stomach, Squall sulked silently, reluctantly wallowing in the warmth of Seifer's firm body. The moment the door was shut behind them and privacy was ensured, he was instead reluctant to part.

Their room was small and scarcely furnished, but considering they were prepared to sleep in the woods, it was more than enough. There was a single bed that would only manage to fit them both if they remained glued to each other through the night. Beside the bed was a nightstand on top of which was the sole source of light at the moment, a lamp. On the far side of the dingy yellow colored room was a tall dresser. The bare floors weren't quite sanded enough to ensure that bare feet wouldn't receive a sliver, but which hardly mattered for two grown boys who didn't drag their feet while walking. The highlight of the room was the bathroom that attached to it, convenient for the pair that was in desperate need of a shower.

Tired from the trip and in need of sleep, Squall slowly shrugged out of his jacket. When Seifer imitated him, he thought for a fleeting moment that they would simply shower and got to bed. Still, the inevitable argument loomed heavily over both their heads, and when green eyes stared into grey-blue it was apparent what came next.

Squall just didn't understand why Seifer was being so adamant about it.

"Why don't you want to marry me?" Seifer questioned, exaggerated hurt in his voice while he construed it to seem like Squall found fault in the idea because it was a marriage to him specifically.

Sighing at the knight's question, wondering just whether it truly was an insecurity in Seifer or not, Squall shrugged. "Before Laguna said anything, getting married was not on your mind. Why are you pressing this so much?"

"Because I want you with me until some god like creature is able to kill me off. Now, answer my question."

"It's unnecessary. And before you even start, I'd never wear a dress," Squall stated evenly, silently wishing he'd phrased it differently. He felt as if he were standing in the maid's outfit again and making the declaration.

Groaning, Seifer decided to skip over his usual antics. Not expressing his opinion on how he'd much prefer undressing Squall from a white gown than watch the serious man wear it, he calmly sat down on the bed and gazed up at his lover seriously. Fruit forgotten, he was prepared for the long haul of their conversation. "It was never possible before, now it is."

"So you've thought about marriage prior to this?" Squall questioned in disbelief.

"No," Seifer admitted. "But what does it matter?"

"That's my question," the brunet shot back. "What does it matter if we go through some ceremony?"

"It'd be an outward expression of what we feel," the ex-knight offered in explanation. "It'd be proof that we intend to stay together."

Raking a hand through choppy hair, tucking several strands behind his ear, Squall argued, "What proof is there when so many marriages end in divorce?" He couldn't help but feel like it was just another step up from Seifer's usual need to flaunt their relationship.

"Not ours," Seifer affirmed.

Eyes staring in disbelief, Squall remarked, "How can you say that? You can't put a label on the future. There is no guarantee that we live happily ever after."

Expression darkening, jade green eyes narrowed. "You say that as though you've considered breaking up?" He couldn't even express the shock he felt.

"Of course," Squall answered easily. "Fourteen years of fighting and in a matter of days we're in bed together? How could anyone assume a relationship like that would last forever?"

Finding that it wasn't so easy to breath, Seifer forced himself to plow through the plethora of questions inside his head. "Have you wanted to break up?"

Growing silent once more, Squall slowly walked forward. Boots thudding against the bare wooden floor, he stood before the sitting knight. He hadn't meant for it to sound like that. Reaching out, he raked his fingers through blond hair. They both really needed a shower.

"Squall," Seifer said, urging the brunet to answer him.

"No, I've never wanted to," pout lips formed in honest reply.

"Then why do you think about it?" Seifer followed up, needing to understand such a mindset that allowed for thoughts about breaking up without actually wanting such a thing to happen. He had every confidence that they would be together for the rest of their lives. He was shocked to discover Squall didn't feel the same. Perhaps he'd overestimated his kitten's love. To him, he didn't think he could live without Squall, so it was only natural to assume they would remain together when he felt it wasn't possible to remain apart.

"Because it's realistic."

Grabbing Squall's wrist, Seifer stilled the soothing movement of delicate fingers brushing along his scalp. "Realistic?" he bit out accusatorially. "It's not being realistic Leonhart, it's doubting what we have."

"And you're so perfect," Squall said sarcastically. "You've never doubted anything about us. You never doubted the attraction?" He seemed to recall being forced upon by an angry knight that was attracted to him and beyond frustrated about it. Their first kiss was a mess of doubting emotions and undeniable lust.

While Squall had a valid point, Seifer felt the difference between stumbling over his sexuality and doubting their future together was too great to be compared. "Getting over the fact that I was falling in love with another man is nothing like doubting that we'll stay together."

Pulling his hand away, Squall stepped back. "The future isn't some vague representation of what you're feeling now. Happily ever after doesn't exist because it's impossible to predict the next moment, let alone the next ten years."

"Then are you afraid or just insecure?" Seifer questioned. "You're not even taking a firm stance, just casting judgment on the whole idea. You're not being realistic, you're being safe."

"…" Squall glared. He'd left safety a long time ago when he'd first informed Seifer just how much he cared.

"Come here," Seifer said, reaching his hand out to the brunet who had stepped further away than he'd have liked. His ability to have such patience with the stubborn brunet was surprising at times.

Though not resistant, Squall made no move on his own. He let the older boy tug him closer and wrap strong arms around his waist. The way Seifer dropped his head and pressed against his stomach sent guilt through him. It was as if the ex-knight were silently pleading for him to understand that he was needed and to accept the ludicrous idea that he'd always be needed.

With uncertainty, Squall set his hands against the man's head, ghosting his fingertips along soft blond hair. "You're too confident," he murmured. It wasn't a matter of arrogance, but blind confidence. Of all the bad habits and characteristics that rubbed off on him, the abundance of confidence was not the least bit contagious.

Seifer's only reply was to squeeze the lithe frame tighter. For once, he couldn't speak. He didn't have the right words. He didn't even know how to begin, how to convince Squall. It hurt to know his kitten had such doubts and that he couldn't really say anything to make them go away.

"I don't doubt you." Squall wasn't sure how he could explain any better than he already had.

"But you doubt my love," Seifer accused, his voice muffled against the shirt his face was pressed against.

"No," Squall denied. Arching closer, Squall carefully shifted to straddle the blond's lap. Sliding within the hold that loosened to accommodate the change in position, he settled into the intimate embrace. Arms encircling over broad shoulders he tried to impress the truth that he didn't have such doubts, only fleeting thoughts about endless possibilities. "You've been with other women before. You like women and their bodies. You've been attracted to others aside from me. The fact that you are with me now means that there was a time when you were with someone else, perhaps feeling the same way, and in the end you broke up."

"I've never felt this way about anyone," Seifer impressed sternly. "Hyne Squall, I feel as though I'd sooner die if you left me than if my heart stopped beating."

Chuckling softly at the knight's over the top declaration, his heart swelled all the same. "Then I guess you'd better make me happy," Squall stated.

Seifer tangled his hand in Squall's thick main of hair. Holding the former Commander fiercely, he playfully bit at the man's shoulder. "You're a bit of a masochist, so it doesn't take much, maybe a little spanking."

"No spanking," Squall shot down quickly, realizing he'd left himself wide open for being smacked on the ass.

"No spanking, no high heels, no handcuffs, it's murder to convince you to jack off with that vibrator for me, and now no marriage. You have to cut me a little slack Leonhart. Marry me."

"Would that be your number one pick?" Squall questioned, wondering if he might trade something off simply to put the topic to rest.

"Spanking and the vibrator are a close second, but I want to see a ring on your finger every time I look at it."

Scowling at the remembrance of having his cherished Griever ring discarded after Seifer learned Rinoa had made a copy for herself, Squall held his left hand out and stared down at his ring finger. He didn't wear any rings, not without the age old one that the blond refused to tell him the location of.

"You don't have to wear a dress or even do it in front of others. It could just be me and you, and your dad as a witness. It'd make Loire so fucking happy," Seifer encouraged. Quietly he added, "And me. It'd make me happy too. I want to do it as proof that you can't be rid of my sorry ass, because I'd never sign divorce papers."

Eyes closed, Squall simply replaced his arm around the ex-knight and hugged the man.

Seifer didn't know if Squall's silence was a good thing. While he may have at least goaded the brunet into considering it, he may also have pushed too much and now his kitten was beyond turning him down with words. Still, he had a sneaking suspicion that Squall was thinking about it, which was a step in the right direction.

"Let's take a shower," Seifer suggested, clapping a hand to Squall ass, but leaving it there to negate the action from counting as a spank. The fact that his touchy princess didn't lash out was definitely a sign that the cogs were working behind that pretty face. It made him smile. Squall was considering accepting his proposal.

Hefting forward suddenly, Seifer groaned and slowly stood up, taking Squall with him.

"Put me down," Squall ordered, attempting to drop his legs. The second he managed to touch solid ground step away, he was literally swept off his feet. "Seifer," he hissed in warning when the blond ignored him and started walking towards the small bathroom that lead off from their room.

"Can't," Seifer returned, curling the body like a weight. He stifled his laughter when his kitten thrashed, any sense of safe balance thrown completely. "It's weight training," the blond managed to say, repeating the curling action.

"You're sleeping on the floor," Squall hissed out.

"If that's where you'd prefer to bunk for the night," Seifer remarked, positively refusing to sleep without his human pillow. Far better than any stuffed animal, his warm and firm cuddle toy would even put out if he managed to get far enough before it woke up.

"Seifer, put me down," Squall reiterated.

Chuckling, Seifer gladly hinted, "My arms are full, tied up if you will, and you can't think of a better way to make me listen other than with words?"

Frowning, Squall figured he could always hurt the blond, but he generally shied from doing such things unless they were sparring, no matter how annoying the man became. It was a moment later that he understood Seifer's real meaning.

"You're doing this so that I'll make you stop?" Squall questioned just to make sure he had it straight.

"And you figured it out all on your own?" Seifer mocked.

Grumbling something to effect of 'who's the masochist?' Squall leaned forward, his back supported by a steady hand. Snaking his arms around the man's neck, worried that strong arms might drop him without warning, he attacked an innocent ear. He wasn't very good at studying what turned Seifer on the most, where the man's erogenous zones were, but he knew how good it felt to have his own ears teased.

Seifer's lids drooped and a soft groan escaped him. Not necessarily surprised that the bedroom minx had made an attempt, he had expected to be capable of not falling apart so quickly. Nipping teeth sent shivers through him. Knowing when defeat was eminent, he moved closer to the wall. When a slick tongue came into play, he craned his head back, advertently making his ear out of reach.

The soft laughter that sounded was a punch to Seifer's ego. However, when Squall wasted no time in directing that delicious mouth to his exposed neck, he caved and cheated. Turning around, his back collided with the wall. Slowly, he sunk, his knees only getting weaker with each lick of his kitten's tongue and marking of kissing lips.

Squall couldn't help but laugh, though he did well to keep it quiet. If he'd known it was this easy to stop Seifer from misbehaving, he'd have done it sooner. When the blond sunk all the way to the floor, he knocked away the arms that kept him place, easily winning his freedom.

"I'm just tired from the walk here," Seifer stated in his defense. While that was actually the case, it was still a poor excuse.

"Sure," Squall returned with a tone of skepticism. Carefully he shifted to one of his more preferred positions, straddling muscular thighs like he'd done just a short while ago. Placing a chaste kiss to Seifer's forehead and then to the familiar scar, he promptly clambered off the man and walked out of sight into the bathroom.

Clothes hastily discarded, Seifer joined Squall in the small square shaped shower, closing the opaque glass door shut with a click. Though not as partial to the scent of the soap and shampoo provided by the inn, he still enjoyed the experience of washing Squall down. Several times he had to bat away obstructing hands, needing to scrub the other's body at his own pace.

While he generally preferred to focus his attention on the brunet's wet body, he welcomed roaming hands that sought to return the favor of cleaning, leaving him relaxed as gentle fingers ran through his sopping hair. The warmth of water soothed aching muscles while masterful hands eventually began to massage him, working on his shoulders and back. "Fucking Heaven," the blond sighed out, wishing he could be lying on the bed. Fifteen miles of fast paced hiking uphill was going to leave him sore in the morning, but it was the perfect reason to request that Squall never stop.

After his muscles felt pliant and loosened, Seifer straightened up. While he could have gone on for another couple hours, he imagined Squall felt just as tightly knotted and sore as himself. Hooking an arm around Squall's waist, he brought the man to his front. "Your turn," he murmured. Deviously, he set about torturing the unsuspecting beauty.

Keeping his caressing massages light, he warmed his kitten up with some heavy petting and lustful kisses. It wasn't long before a lean leg was raised and maneuvered at his side, held in place with the help of his hand hooked under a bent knee. Clutching arms were anchored around his neck while he drove his fingers in and out of Squall's tight little anus.

Falling apart, Squall bucked back onto pumping fingers. Unrestrained whimpers of need filled the small shower. Squall needed to have Seifer inside him; it was pertinent to keeping his sanity.

Mercifully, Seifer gave the brunet exactly what fractured words of want were trying to ask for. Restraining himself as best he could, the blond slowly took position behind the brunet. Smoothing a caressing hand down a wet and arching back, he guided his hardened length inside of Squall. Nudging in as far as he could go without forcing himself deeper, biting his lip to keep from doing just that, he leaned over. It was then his torture began as he started to massage tense shoulders, intent on remaining inside of Squall without moving while he drove the boy insane.

"Seifer?" Squall murmured in question when the blond didn't move well after the time it would have taken for adjusting. As a calloused thumb dug firmly into a particularly knotted spot, the fleeting pain much like that of the initial entry of Seifer's cock each time, he gave a soft gasp. It felt good, euphorically and teasingly good. He wanted more, but the half buried penis in his ass was demanding something else entirely.

"Just returning the favor," Seifer assured, his tone deceivingly innocent. He smirked triumphantly when Squall shivered violently, though he wasn't sure what the cause was. He wagered a guess as the brunet shifted back slightly, attempting to impale that sexy body further onto his engorged organ.

"Move," Squall urged, deciding between the two pleasures and rocking back.

With a smirk, Seifer shifted his hands to rub lower along an arching back. "Patience," he spoke huskily, silently giving himself the same order. As tight heat clamped around his length, he groaned, but didn't push in any deeper. "Good things come to those who wait," he said, his voice now rather strained and his words sounding more like a mantra used to steady his own resolve.

"Bastard," Squall hissed, shuddering on the brink of the pleasure he needed. The lower Seifer's hands traveled the greater his anticipation built. He could practically feel the rough grip on his hips, indicative of the thrusts that came after.

After several painstaking minutes, Squall clutched futilely at the cold tile of the shower wall, fingers curling in a mix of pleasure and pained need. As good as the dexterous massage felt along his back, working to sooth the soreness created from carrying a heavy pack on his shoulders, it wasn't enough.

With a sharp inhale of steamy air, Squall bit his lip to keep from speaking out when Seifer's hands finally reached his hips. Relaxing, his hands ceased their desperate scratching and opened to steadily keep him in place.

Seifer vaguely wondered at the obvious pleasure Squall received from having his cock buried deeply. Most of his coherent thoughts melted away when he finally gripped the brunet's slim hips. Squeezing ever so slightly in warning, he thrust forward, driving himself all the way in and causing vocal pleasure to sound from them both.

Lip trapped between his teeth, Squall vainly tried to keep his betraying voice silent. Whimpering cries were still heard as each thrust sent him reeling. As heated friction built, he thrust back to meet each thrust of Seifer's. The sound of wet slapping began to rise above the sound of the shower's spray and his continued moans rose above it all.

"Fuck," Seifer cursed, unable to keep from letting lose and pounding into the moaning kitten as hard as possible. Generally, he didn't like to abuse the tight opening unless there were copious amounts of lubricant laved to lessen the friction and ease the stretching, and even then it was being abusive to the entrance that wasn't meant to have a cock mercilessly pushed in and out. Yet, the stoic man was unusually vocal and he was only human, so he ground into Squall without restraint. It seemed all the submissive beauty could do to remain standing, unable to thrust back under the force he repeatedly used.

Confident that Squall was strong enough to take it, Seifer reached a hand around and began to stroke the brunet's leaking erection.

"Do you love me?" the blond grunted in question.

It was several moments before Squall attempted to answer. "Ahhn."

"Do you love me?" Seifer reiterated, knowing full well the strained moan had been an affirmative.

"Y-yes!" Squall cried out, panting for the air to breath and speak.

"Do you like it when I fuck you hard?" Seifer questioned, his voice heavy with lust.

"Yes," Squall hissed out, the ex-knight's calloused thumb swiping over the head of his throbbing length.

Pumping faster, Seifer proceeded to jerk Squall off, giving the younger man every bit of pleasure he could. His quickened thrusts left the unraveled man without wait between spiking pleasure from a stimulated prostate.

With one final question begging to be asked, Seifer made certain to time it just right. Underhanded methods were his trademark. Lucky for him, he didn't have to struggle to find the right moment, or even think very hard amidst his lust crazed mind.

"Seifer!" Squall cried, his pleasure paramount.

Increasing his strokes, Seifer asked, "Will you marry me?"

"Nngh!"

Growling out in frustration, Seifer fought valiantly to keep his train of thought when he too was so close. "Will you marry me?" he questioned once more, his voice deeper with need and his tone clip with forced restraint.

Arching painfully, Squall cried out in blind abandon as his orgasm hit. Unhinged and detached from reality, he struggled to remain standing while Seifer finished and numbing pleasure ran its course.

Wholly satisfied with himself, Seifer jerked Squall off until there was nothing left, his own end not far behind. With a few final thrusts that milked his ejaculating organ dry, he tenderly wound his arms around the smaller man and assisted in keeping the boy upright.

Chest rising and falling, Squall slowly stood up, smiling contently as Seifer's softened length slid out of him. Leaning back against a firm chest, he allowed the blond to clean him up, a final rinse to rid himself of sticky release, inside and out.

As Seifer nuzzled dark wet hair, he grinned like a Cheshire cat. It was several moments before Squall seemed to notice anything.

"What?" the brunet mumbled with mild curiosity. While the sex had been no less comparable to some of their greatest sessions, he wouldn't have considered it the best, not in the sense that it warranted such a ceaseless smile.

"You said 'yes'," Seifer stated, his smile brightening.

"I said 'yes'?" Squall questioned.

"When I asked for your hand, you said 'yes'." Seifer almost laughed at the confusion that overtook the brunet's attractive face.

"Bastard," Squall hissed, finally realizing what that last question had been. "That doesn't count."

Chuckling, Seifer reached out and turned the tap off, afraid to know if they'd be billed for using too much water. "I know it doesn't, but it does mean it won't take ten years to convince you," he said with a victorious glint in jade green eyes.

TBC…

A/N Okay, yes I did bring up the whole marriage thing. But, if it's any less of a cliché, I don't actually intend to have them get married within the time frame of this story, or even become engaged. Sadly, I'm thinking the next chapter will be it. I'll jump around a bit and give everyone a final moment and bit of an end, and of course steer back on track with the whole GF hunt. I do have other Seifer/Squall stories in mind. I've already started one. For those of you who can't stand mpreg, I also have another idea in the works, thought it's an AU. If it helps, the one I plan on posting next only mentions the pregnancy.


	37. Chapter 37

**Warning: Indeed, sexual content because I couldn't resist in this last chapter. **

Chapter Thirty-Six

Fornication Grounds

Seifer was both annoyed by and grateful for the waking morning light that seemed to demand he not go back to sleep. Blinking, his eyes felt tired. Another hour in bed was exactly what he needed, just to rest his eyes and watch over the remainder of Squall's sleep.

Shifting carefully, his lips ghosted over the Squall's forehead. Now a steadily growing habit, he woke earlier than usual just to lay with the young man's warm body held close. Similarly, if he weren't too tired at night, he'd wait until the brunet was asleep before nodding off. Sometimes it was easier to whisper sweet nothings while his unromantic kitten couldn't make faces of disapproval. There was also the added benefit of occasionally repeating himself while Squall was awake and watching stormy blue eyes gaze at him thoughtfully, wondering if his words had been spoken before.

Suddenly reminded of the power the subconscious could have, he grinned. Leaning close, the ex-knight quietly murmured, "Marry me." Fingering a length strand of silky brown hair, he continued, "We're in love, we should be married."

"Nnh," came the sleepy reply. Furling closer, Squall buried his face against the crook of Seifer's neck, a quiet inhale of satisfaction threatening to give the blond a morning hard on.

Swallowing thickly, Seifer willed his twitching member to settle down. He doubted he'd ever become accustomed to Squall's oblivious acceptance of his touches. Once continually struggling out of his hold even in sleep, the brunet now kept as close as possible as if there was no warmth from the blanket.

It was a difficult task not to take advantage of the situation when a lean thigh was pressed right against his manhood. Swaying on the verge of giving in to his desires, so easily done when one of his legs was possessively thrown over both of Squall's, he conversed with his inner angel and demon on proper conduct in such a situation. At length, his body spoke up, grinding against the firm body in his hold, defending the sanctity of a young man's libido.

"Use the bathroom," came the sleepy reprimand. It couldn't be determined whether or not Squall was actually awake, quite possibly capable of fending off advances even in sleep after dealing with the spoiled blond on a daily basis.

"But you feel so much nicer," Seifer returned, his voice placating. It would be a shame to jerk off in the bathroom and waste an orgasm like that.

"I'm sore," Squall stated. Without even moving from his place he knew his body was sore. While he was in good shape, he was not a marathon runner and certain muscles just weren't used to traveling great distances by foot. Aside from that, Seifer had been completely horny even after their shower last night and while it had been easier after being stretched by their first rut in the bathroom, it was no soothing experience the morning after.

"We have potions," the blond returned, grinding against the lithe figure once more.

"Hyne Seifer, can I at least wake up first?" Squall bit out in the best angry voice he could muster when his annoyance was actually minimal.

"Of course," Seifer assured. "Do you want breakfast first?" He wasn't wholly without consideration for his kitten.

"Not hungry," Squall murmured, pulling away to lie on his back. With a heavy sigh, he closed his eyes once more.

"You feeling alright?" Seifer questioned with a hint of serious concern that he couldn't quite mask.

Startled by the question and the tentative hand that brushed along to rest on his forehead, grey-blue eyes stared for a long moment. "I'm fine," he assured, wondering what he'd done to indicate otherwise.

Shaking his head, Seifer felt like groaning at his unnecessary concern. Turning away from piercing eyes, he noticed his forgotten bag of fruit on the floor. Casting the blanket aside, cursing at the uncomfortable chill, he stood up. A little more quickly than his ego would have liked, he rushed back to the bed with his parcel of food.

When the brunet chuckled softly, he glared at the amused creature. Selecting a Meridian at random, he bit into it before trapping his unsuspecting quarry. It only took a bit of coaxing before plush lips parted for him. With a slip of his tongue he shared his bite, pulling back to lap escaped juices from Squall's chin.

"That was uncalled for," Squall muttered after safely swallowing. He frowned as Seifer stored the partly eaten fruit back in the bag as if it wouldn't spoil within the hour.

"And yet entirely necessary," Seifer hummed, once more kissing soft lips. While he doubted Squall noticed, their good mornings kisses were almost ritualistic and often quite unique.

Not wholly unaffected by the sweet flavor, Squall ran his tongue along Seifer's. His body reacted without even consulting his brain, accepting every advance that managed to breach his defenses. His hands crept along the firmly muscled back of the ex-knight, nails digging into warm skin when the man atop him ground down.

Setting a steady pace of undulating motions, Seifer gave them both a pleasurable friction as their hardening lengths rubbed together. He groaned when lean legs quickly spread, beckoning him closer. Leaving rouged lips behind, he nipped at the bottom lip in farewell before trailing lower. Responding to his direction, Squall's head leaned back, exposing that pale neck like an awaiting pallet for dark marks of claim. His sultry minx had mastered the art of seduction without even knowing it, and it made his blood heat.

"Seifer," Squall called out, eyes closing as he arched back. One of his hands shifted, his fingers seeking out soft blond strands. As Seifer sucked hard on his pulse, he gasped at the coursing shivers that ran through him.

Grazing his teeth along bruised skin, Seifer pulled back a bare inch and spoke huskily, "Tell me what you want." Stilling his movements, he waited for a reply, insisting that he receive one.

"I want you to finish what you started, bastard," Squall hissed, sorely missing the rough friction against his erection.

"That is terribly unromantic, kitten. You could at least say it with a desperate moan, maybe beg for me to fill you," Seifer returned with light scrutiny.

"Hyne, if you keep spouting nonsense I'll be the one in the bathroom," the brunet hissed out.

Quirking a brow, Seifer reached between them and grasped Squall's length, suddenly understanding the impatient nature of the boy. Taking pity and responsibility, he returned his focus to marking his territory along hollow of the brunet's throat and along the collar. Reluctant to forgo proper lubrication, he couldn't deny that the most beautiful screams came when it was a rough entry.

Seifer groaned when the fingers he pressed against pout lips were immediately drawn in and gently sucked on. Progressing lower along Squall's chest, he laved his tongue about a pert nipple. Abusing the hardened nub until he wrought a small whimper from the brunet, he simply redirected his focus to the other one. As his fingers were drawn further into the boy's mouth, he pulled them out a bit before pushing them back in, mimicking the action he'd soon be doing to the brunet's tighter entrance.

Eventually drawing his fingers from Squall's mouth, Seifer watched in fascination as slick lips remained parted as if missing the presence of something to suck on. Shaking his head, the ex-knight kept his thoughts from becoming too lewd, lest he meet an embarrassingly early end.

"Seifer," Squall called out, his tone encouraging haste.

"I know," the blond assured as he pressed the first finger against the young man's puckered entrance.

All too soon Squall was writhing with unspoken need. Confident in knowing what Squall could take, Seifer settled in place and slowly nudged inside the panting beauty just enough to stay on course. Taking a brief moment, he put a little more force behind his next nudge inward.

At the sharp entry, Squall gave a stifled cry of pain. At the point of needing a moment to stretch, he arched as his body seemed to not care about the pain but his mind made certain he didn't react too hastily. His attention was focused solely on the searing heat splitting him in painful ecstasy.

Seifer grasped the back of bent knees and spread Squall's legs wider, pushing in further as he leaned close. Feeling as though he would lose his mind if he didn't begin moving, he distracted himself with the younger man's inviting mouth.

Receptive to the kiss for as long as he could stand to have Seifer inside him without moving, Squall turned his head away when he couldn't take it any longer. "Move," he urged in a pant.

"Patience princess," Seifer quieted with a kiss against the soft lid of the panting brunet's eye. Nuzzling soft hair, he tightened his grip on the underside of Squall's knees in warning. Drawing out a bit, he pushed back in as far as tight heat would let him without excessive force. It was less lubricated than normal, even less so than when they had water pouring over them.

"Nngh," came the stifled sound of pain with a wincing expression. Before the blond could fret over his condition, Squall bit out, "Stop with those damn names."

"They're pet names, kitten. We've been over this." Seifer admonished, cutting short any reply with a well aimed thrust. It was easy to set a pace when he had his kitten's claws digging into his back to inform him what felt best. The only down side was that the better he made Squall feel, the harder those fingers raked over his back.

Rocking in and out, Seifer eventually loosed his grip on lean legs. Shifting, he managed to take hold of Squall's arms and pull them away. He twined their fingers, propping himself up on his arms for better leverage while still giving the younger man something to squeeze until the pain receded enough. Squall seemed to understand even if nothing but pants and moans came from parted lips. Spread legs raised for him, but before they would wrap around his waist, he fell into the sweet surrender of fucking the brunet raw.

Almost certain that the rest of the inn must have been shaking along with the unstable bed, Seifer was content enough when no one came barging in to make sure they were both alive. He couldn't imagine the bed lasting past another couple rounds of sex, but there were countless surfaces upon which he longed to screw Squall, so it would merely open other doorways.

Perhaps becoming entirely sensitive to his touch, the would-be ice prince desperately writhed beneath him with heightened need. With reminding thoughts that only he could elicit such strong reactions from Squall, that only his touch sent shivers through that lithe body, he came shortly after hearing the arching kitten's cry of ecstasy.

Still sore and stiff, the two panting bodies sunk into the mattress, one squished beneath the other.

Arms spread wide, still holding Seifer's hands, Squall relaxed under the familiar weight. While it was rather cold in the room, the blond knight was draped over him in place of a blanket. "Don't get used to it, I won't always indulge you," he stated defiantly.

"I wasn't the only one being indulged," Seifer whispered with an arrogant smirk against soft chocolate hair.

"…" While an array of cold retorts came to mind, Squall conceded that anything he said would easily be turned against him when the ex-knight's softened penis was still inside of him.

"It's cold," Seifer complained, blindly reaching about for the forgotten blanket. Managing to draw it up, but only after removing himself from atop and within Squall, he flopped back down and made to draw the brunet close.

As strong arms encircled his waist, Squall pulled away.

"Come on, just a quick nap. An hour, tops," Seifer pleaded, reaching to grab the escaping man at the last moment and yanking him back to bed.

"We have to get started, go into town, investigate the incidents," Squall stated evenly, eyeing his stomach with annoyance. Now needing another shower, he was reluctant to just lie in bed.

Rolling his eyes, Seifer took the corner of the blanket and swiped the mess of splattered release from Squall's stomach, not really caring about the bit that was on his own. With brash confidence that he'd be getting his way, he drew the resistant man close and settled in behind the naked body, pressed flush against it. "Don't complain about the other mess, 'cause I know you love the way it feels, sticky and warm inside you," the blond breathed seductively into the scowling boy's ear.

Stilling his struggles, not quite at the point where he felt it necessary to put effort into trying to break free, Squall said, "I'm not tired."

"Sex makes everyone tired, even stubborn Commanders who won't admit to loving it just as much as their godly partner."

"We came here for a reason, and it wasn't to stay in bed all day," Squall said firmly.

"This is our first day alone, and you want to put work as a top priority?" Seifer questioned in disbelief, still not relenting his hold.

With a scoff, Squall pointed out, "You put sex at the top of your list." His implication obviously being that Seifer had already gotten to put a checkmark next to the number one, and it was now his turn.

"Tit for tat, I see," Seifer said in understanding. "However," he continued, once more throwing the blanket over their exposed forms and trapping pale legs with one of his own, "Sex has never been my top priority. You are at the top of my list with no threat to that placing."

In silence, Squall took an embarrassed moment where his cheeks heated and his eyes closed in hope that Seifer didn't see the look on his face. "Idiot," he returned, unable to criticize the knight's constant use of overly sweet sentiments when they made his heart beat faster.

------

Giggling laughter filtered out from the closed bathroom door off of Irvine's sparsely furnished bedroom. Casually sprawled out on his single bed, the gunman ran a hand through loose auburn hair and smirked. His little lady was up to something good this time. He'd been waiting about ten minutes for her to finish up in the bathroom, her amused laughter sounding so often that he could hardly contain the urge to barge in there.

"Darlin', either you come out or I come in," he drawled lazily, his smirk only widening when Selphie began to laugh uncontrollably.

"Do you have a camera?" she called out, excitement evident in her voice.

Swallowing thickly, Irvine glanced around frantically. "Not in the immediate vicinity. Is this something I'll wanna remember?"

"Oh yeah," Selphie chimed merrily. "I ordered a special something from one of your magazines. It's smaller than I imagined, but I think I look pretty hot!"

Eyes widening at the sudden realization of what had been in the shopping bag Selphie had brought with her, Irvine shot up from his reclining position. "Give me two minutes!" he announced, rushing from the room to find the nearest camera. He couldn't fathom why his little lady hadn't brought one.

The neatly stacked boxes of belongings were quickly tossed about as violet eyes raked over the messily scrawled writing of each box's contents. He'd find a camera if he had to run to the cadet's dormitory and steal one.

------

Standing side-by-side, Seifer and Squall stared at the rocky surface of a dead end. Inside the supposedly haunted cave at the base of Mt. Yeril, they'd navigated various paths, marking on their progress down on paper. Armed with nothing but their respective gunblades and flashlights, there was a confidence that as two of the greatest fighters in existence, they didn't need anything more.

"Is this a joke?" Seifer questioned, approaching the rock wall with a flashlight, searching around for some sign that indicated their time hadn't just been wasted.

"Careful where you step," Squall chastised, his flashlight focused on the ground. When his eyes fell across the unmistakable track marks of an adult Chocobo, he groaned in annoyance. "Dammit," he cursed.

"Do you think they'll try and charge us just as soon as we exit?" Seifer muttered with equaled annoyance.

It was dark in the cave, pitch black for the last few twists and turns they'd taken. The occasional echo of pattering feet in the distance had been their target. Assuming they were closing in on the source, they'd stumbled across a dead end. It was now apparent that the cave was some maze and the pattering was the sound of a loose Chocobo.

"I'm beginning to understand why you don't like those birds," Seifer murmured, backing away from the wall in defeat. "There aren't even any monsters in here." He rubbed his sheathed blade with longing.

"It's a maze," Squall reminded.

"Yeah, but still- oh, I see. Never mind." Not just any old maze, but a manmade attraction that was kept free of dangerous monsters so that the locals and rare visitors could have a jolly old time running around and getting scared by the sound of a giant yellow bird running into walls in the distance. "That's fucked up. Is this some sort of town joke? Send the newbies into the cave and see if they shit themselves?"

"…" Not bothering with a reply, Squall wondered if it was overreacting to light a few sticks of dynamite and see if the cave held up. "Let's go," he mumbled.

"Does that mean there are no Guardian Forces here?" Though the answer was obvious, Seifer felt the need to say it with a tone of complaint.

"Unless it's the king of the Chocobos, I doubt it," Squall replied evenly.

"So that's it? We came all this way for a crap maze and birds that can't even fly?" Seifer questioned incredulously. "I spent all those nights sweet talking you into bed, prying you away from that damn computer and this is where all that research got us?"

Frowning at the exaggeration of the amount of time he'd spent searching for a likely location, Squall defended, "It was a guess. I never said anything was for certain. We might spend the next twenty years going all over the place and never find anything."

"I'm choosing the next location," Seifer stated, sidling up close and draping his arm around the brunet's back while they slowly backtracked.

Lips pressed tightly together, Squall glared at the partially completed map in hand.

"What, you don't think I could do better?" Seifer queried, not even needing to see the expression on the younger man's face to know what it was.

"It's fine," Squall conceded. "Just don't go by the number of sex shops."

"Cute kitten, real cute," Seifer muttered, hand snaking down to grope the brunet's ass.

"Dollet's clock tower is rumored to be haunted, it was another likely lead," Squall spoke in suggestion.

"Dollet, huh?" the blond said in thought. "We might be able to have free meals from Mike and I happen to know for a fact there's a sex shop there with a customized line of toys you'd love."

"Seifer," Squall hissed in disapproval.

"I'm not saying I was in the market for anything, but I saw something things in their window display that I know you'd enjoy."

"If you buy it, you can use it on yourself," Squall informed flatly.

Silent for some time after, Seifer eventually admitted, "I'm just joking. The sex shop thing really isn't my style." When the brunet's pace hitched in response, and he could feel stormy blue eyes looking at him, he stopped. Clicking the flashlight off, he pulled Squall closer and kissed soft lips gently. "There's nothing I'll ever push you too far on," he whispered.

Hesitating for a moment, Squall eventually replied, "I know." Swept away by the warm embrace and gently coaxing kiss, he didn't even register the uneven surface of the cave's wall as he was pressed up against it.

------

"Ah, Greta, he's on the counter again," a young blond cadet called out.

Quietly humming to herself with a permanent smile on her face, the high-spirited chef turned to wave a finger at the nearby cat. "Gabriel," Greta chastised, "Get down."

Rushing in from the cafeteria's entrance, Rui scoured the premise. "Sorry," he apologized, closing in on the wandering feline. "Come here," he said before picking the lazing cat up.

"It's okay," the head chef assured. "Tracy, would you wipe the counter down?" she requested, her dough-covered hands keeping her from doing it herself.

"Sure thing," Tracy declared, moving towards the back for cleaning supplies.

"Hot dogs!" Zell cried as he bound into the kitchen, making beeline for his wife.

Smiling as she continued kneading the sticky dough in front of her, Greta waited for Zell to reach her. She knew it was almost time to start serving breakfast when Zell arrived.

Taking a moment to relish the view of his wife, Zell approached the red haired woman and hugged her. "Morning baby," he greeted. "So, hot dogs for lunch today."

Worrying her lip in an attempt to stop smiling too much, she nodded that they were indeed having hot dogs for lunch.

"Are we still up for seeing Ma this weekend?" the spiky haired fighter questioned.

"Yes," she replied, a laugh escaping her as she did so.

Smiling at his wife's odd behavior, Zell inquired, "You seem particularly happy this morning. What's up baby?"

Shrugging at the ticklish feel of Zell's nuzzling face, Greta laughed louder.

"This must be good. Come on, tell me. No, wait, let me guess."

"Okay, guess," she urged. Reaching a hand up she threatened to pat his head and laughed when he jumped back.

Hopping from foot to foot, Zell thought about it. Opening his mouth several times to answer, he repeatedly stopped himself short and shook his head. At length, he ceased his movements and slouched over with slumped shoulders. Defeated, he spoke, "I don't know baby, I'm terrible at these games."

Tempted for a moment to inform her energetic hubby that he hadn't even tried, Greta let her own excitement win instead. "I might be pregnant,"

Following a long and silent moment of shock, the unsuspecting chef was spun about so quickly that she couldn't determine up from down. The loud cries of 'yeah baby!' brought a concerned crowd into the kitchen, and a giggling blond cadet who had been wondering why Greta couldn't stop smiling all morning.

------

Eyes closed and head slumped back to rest on Seifer's shoulder, Squall took a moment to catch his breath. Seated in the ex-knight's lap, he resisted the urge to shift into a more comfortable position. As it was, he was relishing the feeling of having Seifer inside of him. It was something he quite enjoyed, even if he'd never admit to it outright.

"Here," Seifer whispered, bringing his hand up to Squall's mouth. With no light, he better enjoyed the feel of his kitten's tongue lapping away the spent seed from his fingers, determined to leave no mess behind.

Wincing slightly as the blond slid out of him, Squall felt around for his discarded pants, knowing he'd lost his pants in the same vicinity as his flashlight. Seifer turned a light on before he managed to find what he was looking for. He glared when the blond shined the light directly on him in a way that hindered more than helped.

Seifer grinned as he watched the half naked brunet brusquely dress once more. "Don't you look violated," he commented with mirth.

"Hnn," Squall intoned, hardly amused. Though the comment did serve to remind him that he was in a rather disheveled state even with his pants back on. Running fingers through mussed hair, he attempted to settle the strands at least a little. If his white t-shirt was wrinkled or smeared with dirt, he was of little concern when there really wasn't any public appearance to maintain.

"I think we scared the bird off," Seifer said with a laugh. "I hope no one heard or I might go down for attempted murder with the way you were screaming." Dodging just in time, Seifer avoided a fast flying boot. "Joking, joking," he placated. Holding the light between his teeth for a moment, he zipped his jeans up before turning around to retrieve his kitten's foot apparel.

Briefly wondering how Seifer managed to woo him into a quickie in the midst of a lightless cavern maze, Squall eventually concluded that it was pointless to complain after the fact and when he'd been as much a participant as the pushy blond.

------

"Ah, Rui," Quistis called as the boy walked nearby. "Would you mind going over a few things with me?"

Tray in hand, Rui glanced behind at the table he'd been headed towards. A shooing gesture from his girlfriend was enough to confirm that it was fine. Joining the Head Instructor and Commander Yashime at the lunch table, he saluted before being directed to sit. It was weird without Commander Leonhart around, but to everyone's surprise Garden life carried on without mass hysteria.

"I know we've been over the lesson plan a dozen times already, but it never hurts to be prepared," the blond instructor said, shuffling through a pile of papers in front of her.

"Quisty, is this your idea of lunch?" Xu complained.

"Yes, actually," Quistis returned, adjusting her glasses. "The new term starts in three days."

"Four if you count today," Rui commented. Like most cadets, he preferred to think there was more time left before the break ended. Having been given the crash course in many subjects, his mind had been ready to explode by the time winter break came around. Even with classes not in session, he'd continued to meet with instructor Tilmitt to teach her how to pick locks and to polish his skills in what he'd learned so far.

"We could discuss something that's not work related," Xu suggested. "It's not healthy to never thing of anything but work."

"Thank you doctor, but I happen to enjoy what I do."

With a shrug, Xu tucked a few curling strands of her bobbed black hair behind her ear. "I hear Greta's having a baby," she said.

Nodding, Quistis commented, "Zell just found out this morning. As of yet, I'm not sure if we'll need to fill his place. I hope not, we've already lost so many."

"If we're not reviewing the lesson plan, then may I excuse myself?" Rui requested as politely as he could.

"Certainly," Xu said with a smile.

"Then, we'll go over it another time," Quistis said with disappointment, losing the opportunity to once again make sure everything was in perfect order.

------

"It won't be the same without him, ya know?" Raijin said with a glossy eyed look to the woman seated across from him.

"AFFIRMATIVE," Fujin replied tersely, though her sincerity was questionable when she quickly became more concerned with the sandwich on her plate.

"Should we have gone with him, to keep the posse together, ya know?"

Frowning, the silver haired woman shook her head. "NEGATIVE."

"But, we've always been a posse. It just wasn't right after the war, ya know?"

Growling her displeasure at having to explain it, Fujin finished chewing and cleared her throat. Leveling the burly man with her piercing red eye, she bit out, "Seifer is obsessed with Leonhart. Remember the locker room?"

Blinking for a moment, brown eyes stared without comprehension.

"Seifer, oh baby, harder. Squall my love, I love your tight ass," Fujin spoke in monotone, uninterested in giving further impressions of the two lovebirds.

Shuddering in remembrance, Raijin held a hand up. "Thanks a lot. You could've just said they'd be getting busy a lot, ya know?"

Smiling, Fujin explained, "That way was better."

"I miss him."

With a swift kick under the table, Fujin was happy to relieve Raijin from his loneliness and remind him what she was for.

------

Having spent a fair part of the day scouring the entire cave just in case there was actually something there, Squall had also spent much of that time rejecting each of the insatiable knight's attempts to frisk him. Not that he didn't enjoy Seifer's touch, but there was time and place to consider. The time was just after they'd already had sex and the place was in a cave.

"There is something wrong with your sex drive," Squall said as he evaded the knight's wandering hand.

"How often do we get to do it in a place like this?" Seifer protested.

"We're not doing it again," Squall stated firmly, turning his flashlight off and clasping it to his belt as the dim light from the entrance became enough to see properly.

"If you made an honest man out of me by becoming my wife, I'm almost certain my sex drive would settle down."

Frowning as he tried to digest the blond's logic, Squall simply scoffed. "You'd find some way to use marriage as an excuse for more."

"It's not my fault I'm a healthy twenty year old male."

"You're too horny," Squall returned evenly.

"You make me horny," Seifer defended, an arm persistently sneaking around the brunet's slim waist, his hand suggestively ghosting beneath the rim of denim pants.

Deciding the save the ex-knight the trouble of carrying on with the hopeless mission, Squall said flatly, "No."

Gently rubbing his thumb across a jutting hipbone, hoping to receive some positive response he sighed and settled for a loss. "Well, the trip wasn't entirely wasted," Seifer conceded in defeat, leaning down to kiss the top of the sulking man's head. "I still got you all to myself."

"…"

"Tell me how much you love me," Seifer urged with an impish grin. He slowed down as they came out into the open, eyes narrowing at the amount of light. It was a relatively warm day compared to the day before, but it was also a lot sunnier.

"Whatever," Squall mumbled in response.

"Oh, now you've done it," Seifer said before swiftly pinning the younger man against himself in a tight embrace. He loved to tease Squall ceaselessly, pressing for sex at the most inopportune moments and then pressing for even more. However, it was fair game when that single word was spoken, the word he'd declared forbidden time and again.

"Seifer, wait," Squall attempted in protested, but was cut off from speaking further when lips were crushed to his.

Demanding and forceful, it was all the more sweet when the stiff body in Seifer's arms relaxed and succumbed to his desires. The incorrigible man delved into Squall's mouth, coaxing the brunet into the act until the only thing that kept the former Commander standing was his firm hold.

Pulling back abruptly, Seifer watched as heavy lidded eyes grasped for comprehension beyond the sudden want he'd elicited. "Now tell me how much you love me."

Though considering responding in the same manner as before, Squall found it was easier to just be honest. Arms wrapped around Seifer's neck, he pulled the man down to him and initiated another kiss.

At length, the need for air overcame the need to search each other's mouths. Panting, Squall admitted, "I love you enough to put up with you."

Chuckling lightly as he gave fleeting pecks near Squall's temple, Seifer commented, "Good answer." There was a warm feeling at the subtle hint of Squall's love being indefinite, being able to grow as he grew more annoying and last for as long as he could antagonize the younger man. "Do you love me enough to let me play good cop, bad cop with you as the naughty delinquent."

Grumbling incoherently as his face pressed against the ex-knight's chest, Squall muttered, "I love you enough not to kill you for the suggestion."

"I could take the fur off the handcuffs," the blond proposed.

"What?" Squall questioned, pulling away and staring up incredulously.

Laughing, Seifer bent down to kiss pliant lips, which were already thoroughly rouged. "You're adorable when you're angry."

"Bastard," Squall hissed, ducking out of the blond's hold and stalking off.

Green eyes followed the subtle sway of slender hips, shamelessly ogling the brunet's ass. Jogging to catch up, he questioned, "If 'bastard' is the best pet name you can come up with, I have a suggestion."

"Idiot?" Squall questioned, his anger obviously fleeting. He couldn't care for Seifer as much as he did and not be able to take the constant teasing in stride.

"While that has a nice ring to it, I was thinking more along the lines of _'Master'._"

"…" Squall didn't even have to speak for either of them to know that was never going to happen.

With an annoyed growl, Seifer once more snuck his arm around Squall's waist and pulled the man close. "Would you walk closer?"

"It's harder to walk like this," Squall commented, though he did fall into step and lean against the blond.

"There's no rush," Seifer pointed out, slowing their walk to a stroll as they followed the winding path back into town. It was a well-worn road that they could take their time on and not worry about stumbling. Furthermore, he greatly appreciated the simple gesture when he previously couldn't even get the younger man to hold his hand in public.

Shifting to become more comfortable, Squall eventually settled on reaching his arm back and holding onto the back of Seifer's forest green t-shirt. Grey-blue eyes cast a furtive glance down to his side where the older boy's hand resting conveniently on Lionheart's hilt. As unbecoming as such thoughts were, he couldn't help but think that Seifer's odd holstering habit seemed to have been meant to accommodate his placement at the man's other side. It was ridiculous considering Seifer had been wearing Hyperion on the wrong side for years, but it was worth noting all the same.

THE END

A/N: Abrupt, maybe just a little, but I wasn't going to write what happened when they made it back to their room… give 'em some privacy. I'm sorry if anyone was expecting something super special for an end, but I can only deal with so much gushy declarations of love before I cringe and hold the backspace button down 'til the screen is blank. There really wasn't much left to tell, no big adventure I had stored up my sleeve. And, to basically quote Squall (or myself, I guess) there is no happily ever after since labels can't be put on the future, so screw closure.

Well, it's been fun writing both Protecting the Lion and Strings Attached. While this particularly storyline is done for me, I am nowhere near finished writing FFVIII fanfiction, specifically involving Seifer/Squall pairings.

To everyone who has reviewed and stuck with me this far-- Thank You So Much.

Seriously, you have no idea how much it's meant to me. /sobs in corner/

Next in store is to finish up Living with Heart and fine tune the new story I've started.


End file.
